During the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Since my travel mate was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had arranged a two-week stay there en route to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, found a table, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Beside me was an Iraqi man studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did, and I explained that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at the institution – right next door to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I ought to seek a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that night. The man from Iraq came up to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but straight off explained to my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a city where anything feels possible – she declared: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for three years. One of the benefits was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in numerous aspects. I would never have had the confidence or nerve to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. And, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university led me to 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 helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Shown for You?
From making your day to transforming your future, we would love to know chance encounters that have left a lasting impression.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, without revealing your identity if you choose. The stories you tell are protected, and will only be used the aim of this article.
