In the late 1980s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a companion. Because my companion was exploring starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had booked a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a large multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, sat down, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He inquired what I did, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at the university – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I should apply for a job with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The Iraqi student came up to me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately explained to my host that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his identity, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in multiple respects. I would never have had the confidence or self-belief to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Additionally, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York led me to a position in Switzerland where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I now have a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's brightening your mood to transforming your future, we are interested in random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
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