During the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Since my travel mate was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had booked a two-week stay there en route to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a big 10-storey building on the UWS named International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, found a table, and began chatting with people eating there.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did for a living, and I explained that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned 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 suggested that I ought to seek a role with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that night. The Iraqi student approached me and informed me that he had organized a discussion 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 straight off told my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she said: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for three years. A perk of the job was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his full name, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in so many ways. I would never have had the bravery or nerve to reach out at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Additionally, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university paved the way for a role in Europe where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
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