During the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a companion. Because my travel mate was exploring starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had booked a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a sizeable 10-storey building on the UWS named International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the canteen, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and began chatting with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at the university – close to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I ought to seek a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The engineering student walked over to me and let me know that he had set up a meeting 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 told my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a city where everything seems achievable – she said: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for three years. An advantage of the role was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his identity, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in so many ways. I lacked the courage or self-belief to approach someone at an elite institution and ask for a job. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university resulted in a job in Zurich where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Tell us about the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
From making your day to transforming your future, we would love to know random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
Please share your story if you are 18 or over, keeping your details private if you choose. What you share are secure, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.
