During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to Europe with a friend. Since my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had arranged a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the canteen, where we grabbed food, sat down, and started talking to fellow residents.
Beside me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – right next door to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I should apply for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The man from Iraq approached me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but immediately informed my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where anything feels possible – she declared: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in so many ways. I didn't possess the courage or self-assurance to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. And, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that gig at Columbia led me to a job in Zurich where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to changing your life, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have stuck with you.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, keeping your details private if you prefer. The stories you tell are confidential, and will only be used the purpose of this feature.
