During the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a low-cost journey to Europe with a companion. Because my companion was considering enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had booked a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a large ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, sat down, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I my profession was, and I told him that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an research lab at Columbia University – right next door to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I ought to seek a position with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall 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. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but right away told my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a place where everything seems achievable – she responded: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I lacked the bravery or nerve 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 tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York resulted in a position in Switzerland where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
Whether it's brightening your mood to changing your life, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, anonymously if you choose. Your responses are protected, and are intended for the aim of this article.
