In the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Since my travel mate was exploring starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had planned a two-week stay there en route to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a large 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, found a table, and began chatting with other diners.
Beside 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 degree in science and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at Columbia University – right next door to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I consider applying for a position with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The man from Iraq approached me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but right away informed my host that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a city where opportunities abound – she said: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his identity, but his selfless gesture changed my life in multiple respects. I didn't possess the bravery or self-assurance to approach someone at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Moreover, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia resulted in a role in Europe where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
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