In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my friend was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, found a table, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did for a living, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an research lab at the institution – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I ought to seek a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The engineering student approached me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately informed my host that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a city where opportunities abound – she said: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for three years. A perk of the job was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his name, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in so many ways. I would never have had the courage or nerve to reach out at an prestigious college and request employment. And, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
Critically, that job in New York led me to a job in Zurich where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Tell us about the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
From brightening your mood to changing your life, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have left a lasting impression.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, keeping your details private if you prefer. What you share are protected, and are solely for the aim of this article.
