During the late 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to Europe with a travel partner. Because my companion was interested in starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had planned a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a large multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the canteen, where we got some food, took a seat, and started talking to fellow residents.
Sitting next to 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 just graduated with a scientific background and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at Columbia University – close to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I should apply for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that evening. The engineering student walked over to me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately informed my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she responded: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his full name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in multiple respects. I lacked the courage or nerve to reach out at an Ivy League university and request employment. And, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that role at the university led me to a job in Zurich where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
From cheering you up to transforming your future, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have left a lasting impression.
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