During the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Since my companion was exploring starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a big 10-storey building on the Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we got some food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I explained that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I ought to seek a role with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The engineering student walked over to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but immediately informed my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where anything feels possible – she responded: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his full name, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in multiple respects. I didn't possess the courage or self-assurance to approach someone at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Additionally, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia led me to a job in Zurich where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
From cheering you up to altering your path, we would love to know chance encounters that have left a lasting impression.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, anonymously if you wish. Your responses are secure, and are solely for the aim of this article.
