During the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Since my friend was exploring starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had planned a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a large ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side known as International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, sat down, and started talking to people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at the university – adjacent to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I consider applying for a role with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The man from Iraq approached me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but immediately informed my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she responded: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for three years. A perk of the job was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in multiple respects. I would never have had the courage or self-assurance to contact anyone at an prestigious college and seek a position. And, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia led me to a role in Europe where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
From brightening your mood to changing your life, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.
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