In the late 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my travel mate was exploring starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had arranged a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a big ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the dining hall, where we got some food, took a seat, and started talking to people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did for a living, and I told him that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at the institution – close to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I consider applying for a role with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that after dark. The man from Iraq came up to me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but straight off explained to my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a place where opportunities abound – she said: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his identity, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in numerous aspects. I lacked the confidence 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 educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a role in Europe where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Tell us about the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
From cheering you up to altering your path, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have left a lasting impression.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, anonymously if you wish. What you share are secure, and will only be used the aim of this article.
