During the late 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to the European continent with a friend. Because my friend was considering enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had planned a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the canteen, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I told him that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I ought to seek a role 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.
A day later I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that night. The engineering student walked over to me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but right away told my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where everything seems achievable – she responded: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his identity, but his selfless gesture changed my life in so many ways. I didn't possess the courage or nerve to contact anyone at an elite institution and seek a position. And, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a role in Europe where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
From brightening your mood to altering your path, we would love to know random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
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