In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Because my friend was exploring starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had booked a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a large multi-story edifice on the UWS known as International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the canteen, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and started talking to fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I shared that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – close to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I ought to seek a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that night. The man from Iraq approached me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but immediately informed my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a place where anything feels possible – she said: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his identity, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in multiple respects. I didn't possess the courage or nerve to contact anyone at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Additionally, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
What's more, that role at the university resulted in a job in Zurich where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Shown for You?
From cheering you up to transforming your future, we want to hear about unexpected interactions that have stuck with you.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, without revealing your identity if you wish. The stories you tell are protected, and are solely for the aim of this article.
