In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my friend was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had planned a two-week stay there en route to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we got some food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I my profession was, and I explained that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the university – right next door to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I ought to seek a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that night. The engineering student walked over to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately explained to my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a city where anything feels possible – she said: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his full name, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in so many ways. I would never have had the courage or nerve to reach out at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. And, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that role at the university resulted in a position in Switzerland where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Shown for You?
Whether it's brightening your mood to altering your path, we want to hear about chance encounters that have left a lasting impression.
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