During the late 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had planned a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a large ten-floor structure on the UWS named International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, found a table, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I my profession was, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at Columbia University – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I should apply for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that after dark. The man from Iraq walked over to me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but immediately informed my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she responded: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his full name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in numerous aspects. I would never have had the courage or self-belief to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Additionally, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York paved the way for a role in Europe where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
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