During the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Since my travel mate was considering starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had booked a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a large multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, found a table, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He asked me what I did for a living, and I explained that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an research lab at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I ought to seek a job with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that evening. The engineering student approached me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but right away informed my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a city where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his identity, but his selfless gesture changed my life in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the confidence or nerve to contact anyone at an elite institution and seek a position. Moreover, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
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 amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
From brightening your mood to altering your path, we would love to know random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
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