During the late 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Since my companion was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had booked a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We reached the postgrad residence, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, found a table, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I shared that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at the institution – close to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I ought to seek a position with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The Iraqi student approached me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately told my host that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a place where everything seems achievable – she said: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for three years. One of the benefits was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his identity, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in multiple respects. I would never have had the courage or nerve to reach out at an prestigious college and ask for a job. And, I had always wanted to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia led me to a position in Switzerland where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I now have a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Tell us about the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Shown for You?
From making your day to altering your path, we are interested in random meetings that have remained in your memory.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, keeping your details private if you wish. The stories you tell are confidential, and are solely for the aim of this article.
