In the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Because my companion was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had booked a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a big ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side known as International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the canteen, where we got some food, took a seat, and began chatting with people eating there.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at Columbia University. He asked me what I did, and I told him that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I ought to seek a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. 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. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but immediately 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 anything feels possible – she declared: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I would never have had the courage or self-assurance to contact anyone at an prestigious college and seek a position. Additionally, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Critically, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
From making your day to changing your life, we want to hear about random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
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