During the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to Europe with a companion. Since my companion was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had planned a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a big 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we got some food, sat down, and started talking to people eating there.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I explained that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – close to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The man from Iraq came up to me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but straight off explained to my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his full name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in so many ways. I didn't possess the courage or nerve to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a role in Europe where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
From making your day to changing your life, we would love to know random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
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