🔗 Share this article

During the late 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Because my companion was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had planned a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.

We arrived at the graduate housing, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the canteen, where we got some food, found a table, and started talking to people eating there.

Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I my profession was, and I explained that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.

He noted that there was an research lab at the university – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I should apply for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.

A day later I toured the city, returning to the canteen that night. The man from Iraq came up to me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but immediately explained to my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.

As is common in NYC – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We can make that happen. 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 was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a graduate degree in global studies.

I never saw that student again and I can't recall his identity, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in multiple respects. I didn't possess the confidence or nerve to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. Moreover, I had always wanted to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.

Critically, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.

What is the Most Generous Act a Someone You Didn't Know Has Ever Done for You?

Whether it's making your day to altering your path, we want to hear about chance encounters that have remained in your memory.

Please share your story if you are 18 or over, anonymously if you wish. What you share are confidential, and are solely for the aim of this article.