During the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Since my companion was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had arranged a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a big multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we got some food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did for a living, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I ought to seek a role with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that night. The Iraqi student came up to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but immediately told my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where opportunities abound – she responded: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his full name, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in multiple respects. I lacked the confidence or nerve to contact anyone at an prestigious college and request employment. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a role in Europe where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I now have a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
Whether it's brightening your mood to transforming your future, we want to hear about random meetings that have remained in your memory.
We invite you to tell us if you are 18 or over, without revealing your identity if you choose. The stories you tell are confidential, and are solely for the aim of this article.
