In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a low-cost journey to Europe with a travel partner. Since my travel mate was considering pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had booked a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a large 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and started talking to people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I my profession was, and I shared that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – close to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I ought to seek a position with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that night. The engineering student came up to me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but straight off told my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a city where opportunities abound – she said: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. One of the benefits 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 would never have had the courage or nerve to approach someone at an Ivy League university and request employment. Moreover, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York led me to a job in Zurich where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to altering your path, we want to hear about unexpected interactions that have stuck with you.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, without revealing your identity if you prefer. The stories you tell are secure, and will only be used the aim of this article.
