In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Since my friend was exploring starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had arranged a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a large 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we got some food, took a seat, and started talking to other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man studying engineering at Columbia University. He inquired what I my profession was, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – close to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I consider applying for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The man from Iraq approached me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately informed my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for three years. One of the benefits was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his full name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in multiple respects. I would never have had the bravery or self-assurance to contact anyone at an prestigious college and request employment. Additionally, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia resulted in a position in Switzerland where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
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