In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to Europe with a companion. Because my companion was considering enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a big ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the canteen, where we picked up meals, found a table, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did, and I explained that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at the university – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I consider applying for a job with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that night. The engineering student approached me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but right away informed my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she said: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in so many ways. I lacked the confidence or nerve to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. Moreover, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university led me to a job in Zurich where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
From cheering you up to changing your life, we would love to know chance encounters that have remained in your memory.
We invite you to tell us if you are 18 or over, without revealing your identity if you wish. The stories you tell are protected, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.
