In the late 1980s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Because my friend was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had planned a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a large multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the canteen, where we got some food, found a table, and started talking to people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did, and I explained that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at Columbia University – close to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I consider applying for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that evening. The Iraqi student approached me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but straight off told my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she declared: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his identity, but his selfless gesture changed my life in so many ways. I lacked the bravery or nerve to approach someone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. And, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a position in Switzerland 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 kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
From brightening your mood to changing your life, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have left a lasting impression.
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