In the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to the European continent with a friend. Because my companion was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had planned a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a big 10-storey building on the Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the canteen, where we got some food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the university – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I ought to seek a position with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that night. The engineering student walked over to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but straight off informed my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a place where opportunities abound – she declared: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for three years. One of the benefits was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his full name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I would never have had the bravery or nerve to approach someone at an prestigious college and seek a position. Additionally, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
What's more, that role at the university paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to altering your path, we want to hear about chance encounters that have left a lasting impression.
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