During the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Since my travel mate was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had arranged a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, sat down, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Beside me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I did, and I shared that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – adjacent to the engineering department, 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, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, returning to the canteen that night. The Iraqi student walked over to me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately told my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she said: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his full name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in multiple respects. I didn't possess the courage or nerve to contact anyone at an prestigious college and seek a position. Moreover, I had always wanted to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia resulted in a role in Europe where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
Whether it's making your day to changing your life, we are interested in random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, anonymously if you prefer. What you share are secure, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.
