🔗 Share this article

In the late 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had planned a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.

We got to the student accommodation, a big multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, sat down, and began chatting with other diners.

Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I shared that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.

He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – close to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I should apply for a role with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.

A day later I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that night. The Iraqi student came up to me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately told my host that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.

As is common in NYC – a place where anything feels possible – she said: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.

I worked there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a graduate degree in global studies.

I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his identity, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in so many ways. I didn't possess the courage or nerve to approach someone at an prestigious college and request employment. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.

Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia resulted in a job in Zurich where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.

Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?

Whether it's cheering you up to transforming your future, we would love to know unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.

Please share your story if you are 18 or over, keeping your details private if you prefer. What you share are confidential, and are solely for the purpose of this feature.