During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Since my companion was considering pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had booked a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a big multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the canteen, where we picked up meals, sat down, and began chatting with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He asked me what I my profession was, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – right next door to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I should apply for a position with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that evening. The man from Iraq approached me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but right away explained to my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she responded: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his name, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in so many ways. I lacked the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Moreover, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
Critically, that role at the university led me to a role in Europe where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
From making your day to altering your path, we are interested in random meetings that have stuck with you.
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