During the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to Europe with a companion. Since my friend was considering enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had arranged a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a big multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, sat down, and started talking to other diners.
Beside me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I my profession was, and I explained that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – adjacent to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I consider applying for a job with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that evening. The man from Iraq approached me and told 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 showed up for the discussion – but right away informed my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his identity, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I lacked the courage or nerve to contact anyone at an elite institution and seek a position. And, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Critically, that job in New York resulted in a position in Switzerland where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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 chance encounters that have remained in your memory.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, keeping your details private if you prefer. What you share are protected, and are intended for the aim of this article.
