In the late 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my friend was considering enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had arranged a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the UWS named International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and started talking to fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat 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 explained that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – close to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I consider applying for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The engineering student approached me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but right away informed my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she declared: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his identity, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in so many ways. I would never have had the courage or self-assurance to approach someone at an elite institution and ask for a job. Moreover, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that role at the university led me to a job in Zurich where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Shown for You?
From brightening your mood to changing your life, we want to hear about chance encounters that have left a lasting impression.
We invite you to tell us if you are of legal age, anonymously if you wish. The stories you tell are secure, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.
