During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a friend. Since my friend was considering pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had arranged a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a big 10-storey building on the UWS called International House. After dropping our bags, 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 gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He inquired what I did for a living, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I consider applying for a job with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The man from Iraq came up to me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but right away told my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a city where opportunities abound – she declared: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his full name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I would never have had the courage or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York led me to a job in Zurich where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
From cheering you up to changing your life, we are interested in random meetings that have stuck with you.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are 18 or over, keeping your details private if you prefer. What you share are protected, and are intended for the aim of this article.
