During the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Because my companion was considering pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had arranged a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We reached the postgrad residence, a big 10-storey building on the Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, sat down, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I my profession was, and I told him that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I should apply for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The man from Iraq came up to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but right away informed my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a place where everything seems achievable – she said: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his identity, but his selfless gesture changed my life in so many ways. I lacked the courage or self-assurance to contact anyone at an elite institution and seek a position. Moreover, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that role at the university resulted in a position in Switzerland where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's brightening your mood to changing your life, we want to hear about random meetings that have stuck with you.
We invite you to tell us if you are 18 or over, without revealing your identity if you prefer. The stories you tell are confidential, and are intended for the aim of this article.
