During the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Since my companion was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had planned a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a sizeable 10-storey building on the UWS called International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the canteen, where we got some food, found a table, and started talking to other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I my profession was, and I shared that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the university – adjacent to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I consider applying for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The Iraqi student came up to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but right away informed my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a place where anything feels possible – she declared: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in numerous aspects. I would never have had the confidence or nerve to approach someone at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
What's more, that job in New York resulted in a role in Europe where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Shown for You?
From making your day to altering your path, we would love to know unexpected interactions that have left a lasting impression.
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