In the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to the European continent with a friend. Since my travel mate was exploring starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had arranged a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a large multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the canteen, where we grabbed food, sat down, and started talking to fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I my profession was, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an research lab at the institution – close to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I should apply for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that night. The engineering student approached me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately informed my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a place where opportunities abound – she declared: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his identity, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in so many ways. I would never have had the confidence or self-belief to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and request employment. And, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
What's more, that role at the university paved the way for a job in Zurich where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Shown for You?
From brightening your mood to changing your life, we are interested in chance encounters that have remained in your memory.
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