During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Since my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had booked a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a large multi-story edifice on the UWS named International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we got some food, sat down, and began chatting with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did for a living, and I shared that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an research lab at the university – right next door 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, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that evening. The engineering student approached me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but right away told my host that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she responded: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for three years. A perk of the job was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his identity, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in so many ways. I lacked the confidence or self-belief to reach out at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Moreover, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that role at the university paved the way for a job in Zurich where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to changing your life, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.
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