In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Because my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had booked a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, sat down, and began chatting with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did, and I told him that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an research lab at the university – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I should apply for a role with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that night. The man from Iraq walked over to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but immediately informed my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where everything seems achievable – she said: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his full name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in multiple respects. I lacked the courage or self-belief to reach out at an Ivy League university and request employment. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York resulted in a role in Europe where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
From making your day to altering your path, we are interested in random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
We invite you to tell us if you are an adult, anonymously if you wish. The stories you tell are confidential, and are intended for the goal of sharing inspiring stories.
