In the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to Europe with a friend. Since my companion was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had arranged a two-week stay there en route to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a large 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, found a table, and began chatting with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – close to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I consider applying for a position with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The man from Iraq 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 taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but right away told my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a place where opportunities abound – she said: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his full name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I would never have had the confidence or nerve to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and request employment. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university resulted in a job in Zurich where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
From brightening your mood to changing your life, we would love to know unexpected interactions that have left a lasting impression.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, without revealing your identity if you prefer. The stories you tell are confidential, and will only be used the aim of this article.
