🔗 Share this article

During the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a companion. Since my companion was considering pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.

We got to the graduate housing, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the dining hall, where we got some food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.

Beside me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did for a living, and I told him that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.

He mentioned that there was an research lab at Columbia University – right next door to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I should apply for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.

The following day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that evening. The Iraqi student walked over to 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 taken the effort, I attended the interview – but straight off informed my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.

Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where everything seems achievable – she declared: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.

I was employed there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a master’s of international affairs.

I lost touch with him and I can't recall his identity, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in so many ways. I would never have had the bravery or self-belief to reach out at an elite institution and seek a position. And, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.

What's more, that job in New York led me to a role in Europe where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have a family of four kids. 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 Once Performed for You?

From brightening your mood to transforming your future, we are interested in random meetings that have left a lasting impression.

We invite you to tell us if you are of legal age, keeping your details private if you choose. What you share are secure, and are solely for the purpose of this feature.