During the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my companion was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had planned a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a large multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the canteen, where we grabbed food, sat down, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at Columbia University. He inquired what I did for a living, and I shared that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – adjacent to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I ought to seek a role with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, returning to the canteen that after dark. The engineering student approached me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but right away told my interviewer that I didn’t have a 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. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a postgrad program in international relations.
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 didn't possess the confidence or self-assurance to approach someone at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Critically, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a job in Zurich where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Tell us about the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
From making your day to transforming your future, we are interested in chance encounters that have stuck with you.
We invite you to tell us if you are an adult, without revealing your identity if you wish. The stories you tell are secure, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.
