During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Because my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had arranged a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a large multi-story edifice on the UWS known as International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the canteen, where we got some food, took a seat, and started talking to people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I explained that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – adjacent to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I should apply for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The engineering student walked over to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but right away informed my host that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a place where opportunities abound – she responded: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his full name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I would never have had the confidence or nerve to contact anyone at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Additionally, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Critically, that role at the university resulted in a job in Zurich where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share four amazing children. 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?
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