In the late 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Because my friend was considering pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had arranged a two-week stay there en route to London.
We reached the postgrad residence, a big 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we got some food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. 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 with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an research lab at Columbia University – close to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I ought to seek a position with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that night. The Iraqi student came up to me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but right away explained to my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for three years. An advantage of the role was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in multiple respects. I didn't possess the confidence or nerve to contact anyone at an elite institution and seek a position. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York led me to a role in Europe where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Shown for You?
From cheering you up to transforming your future, we are interested in random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
Please share your story if you are 18 or over, anonymously if you choose. Your responses are protected, and will only be used the goal of sharing inspiring stories.
