During the late 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Because my travel mate was considering enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had planned a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a large 10-storey building on the Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the canteen, where we grabbed food, sat down, and began chatting with people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I my profession was, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I consider applying for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that night. The man from Iraq approached me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but right away explained to my host that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a city where opportunities abound – she responded: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in so many ways. I lacked the confidence or self-assurance to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. And, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York led me to a position in Switzerland where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual 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 changing your life, we are interested in chance encounters that have remained in your memory.
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