In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a companion. Since my friend was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had arranged a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we got some food, found a table, and began chatting with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I my profession was, and I told him that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – close to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I should apply for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that night. The engineering student approached me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but right away told my host that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she responded: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in so many ways. I would never have had the confidence or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. Additionally, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
What's more, that role at the university paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I now have four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Shown for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to altering your path, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.
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