In the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to Europe with a companion. Since my friend was exploring starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had booked a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the UWS named International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the canteen, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and began chatting with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I my profession was, and I told him that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an research lab at the institution – right next door to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I ought to seek a role with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The engineering student approached me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but right away told my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a place where opportunities abound – she declared: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity 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 so many ways. I lacked the bravery or nerve to reach out at an Ivy League university and request employment. Moreover, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York resulted in a role in Europe where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
From cheering you up to changing your life, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are 18 or over, anonymously if you prefer. The stories you tell are confidential, and are intended for the aim of this article.
