In the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a friend. Since my companion was considering enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had booked a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a big ten-floor structure on the UWS known as International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the canteen, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and started talking to other diners.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at Columbia University. He asked me what I did, and I shared that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that night. The engineering student approached me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but right away explained to my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she declared: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” 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 used the opportunity to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his full name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in multiple respects. I would never have had the confidence or self-assurance to contact anyone at an prestigious college and request employment. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that job in New York paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
Whether it's making your day to altering your path, we would love to know unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.
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