In the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Since my companion was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had planned a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We reached the postgrad residence, a large multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I ought to seek a position with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that night. The man from Iraq approached me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but immediately told my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a city where anything feels possible – she said: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his full name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the confidence or self-belief to reach out at an prestigious college and request employment. Additionally, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia led me to a job in Zurich where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
From brightening your mood to altering your path, we are interested in random meetings that have remained in your memory.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are 18 or over, keeping your details private if you choose. What you share are secure, and will only be used the aim of this article.
