In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Since my friend was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had arranged a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a large ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and started talking to other diners.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I my profession was, and I shared that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – right next door to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I ought to seek a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The man from Iraq 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. Because he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but immediately explained to my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I lacked the bravery or self-assurance to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and request employment. Additionally, 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 position in Switzerland where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. 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 Ever Done for You?
Whether it's brightening your mood to altering your path, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have stuck with you.
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