During the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Because my travel mate was considering pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had arranged a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a big 10-storey building on the Upper West Side named International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the canteen, where we grabbed food, found a table, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I did, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – close to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I should apply for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, returning to the canteen that night. The man from Iraq approached me and informed me that he had arranged an interview 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 informed my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she responded: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for three years. An advantage of the role was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his full name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in so many ways. I didn't possess the courage or self-assurance to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Moreover, I had always wanted to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Critically, that role at the university led me to a position in Switzerland where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
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