🔗 Share this article

During the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a friend. Because my friend was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had planned a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.

We arrived at the student accommodation, a big ten-floor structure on the UWS named International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and started talking to people eating there.

Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man studying engineering at Columbia University. He inquired what I my profession was, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.

He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – close to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I ought to seek a job with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining 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 after dark. The engineering student came up to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but straight off informed my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.

As is common in NYC – a place where anything feels possible – she responded: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.

I was employed there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a postgrad program in international relations.

We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his identity, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in so many ways. I didn't possess the courage or self-assurance to reach out at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. And, I had always wanted to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.

What's more, that job in New York paved the way for a role in Europe where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.

Tell us about the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?

Whether it's brightening your mood to changing your life, we would love to know chance encounters that have stuck with you.

We invite you to tell us if you are 18 or over, keeping your details private if you choose. The stories you tell are confidential, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.