In the late 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Since my companion was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had booked a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We reached the postgrad residence, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, sat down, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man studying engineering at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I shared that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I consider applying for a job with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was soon departing 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 Iraqi student came up to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but straight off informed my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for three years. One of the benefits was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his full name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in numerous aspects. I lacked the confidence or nerve to reach out at an prestigious college and request employment. Moreover, I had always wanted to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
Critically, that job in New York led me to a job in Zurich where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
From cheering you up to transforming your future, we are interested in random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, without revealing your identity if you wish. The stories you tell are secure, and will only be used the purpose of this feature.
