During the late 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Since my travel mate was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had planned a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a large multi-story edifice on the UWS called International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, sat down, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Beside me 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 newly finished with a science degree and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – adjacent to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I should apply for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that night. The Iraqi student walked over to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but right away told my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where opportunities abound – she declared: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in so many ways. I lacked the confidence or self-belief to reach out at an Ivy League university and seek a position. And, I had always wanted to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that job in New York resulted in a position in Switzerland where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Shown for You?
Whether it's making your day to altering your path, we would love to know unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.
We invite you to tell us if you are of legal age, without revealing your identity if you wish. The stories you tell are confidential, and will only be used the aim of this article.
