In the late 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my friend was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had booked a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a large ten-floor structure on the UWS called International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, sat down, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did, and I told him that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an research lab at the institution – right next door to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I ought to seek a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that night. The man from Iraq came up to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but straight off explained to my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a place where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in so many ways. I didn't possess the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an Ivy League university and request employment. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a job in Zurich where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Shown for You?
From brightening your mood to transforming your future, we would love to know chance encounters that have remained in your memory.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, keeping your details private if you prefer. Your responses are secure, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.
