In the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Since my travel mate was considering enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We reached the postgrad residence, a large 10-storey building on the Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, found a table, and started talking to fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did for a living, and I explained that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I should apply for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, returning to the canteen that night. The Iraqi student came up to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but immediately explained to my host that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she declared: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in so many ways. I would never have had the courage or self-belief to approach someone at an elite institution and ask for a job. Additionally, I had always wanted to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York resulted in a position in Switzerland where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I now have four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Shown for You?
From brightening your mood to changing your life, we would love to know random meetings that have remained in your memory.
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