During the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a companion. Because my travel mate was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had arranged a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a big ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, found a table, and started talking to fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – right next door to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I consider applying for a position with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The man from Iraq 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. Since he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but straight off explained to my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a place where anything feels possible – she declared: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for three years. One of the benefits was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I would never have had the confidence or self-belief to approach someone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. And, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
Critically, that job in New York paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
From brightening your mood to transforming your future, we want to hear about unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.
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