In the late 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a companion. Because my friend was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had planned a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a large multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and started talking to other diners.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He asked me what I my profession was, and I shared that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at Columbia University – close to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He proposed 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, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that after dark. The engineering student approached me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but right away told my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a city where anything feels possible – she said: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his name, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in multiple respects. I lacked the confidence or self-assurance to approach someone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Additionally, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that job in New York paved the way for a job in Zurich where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Tell us about the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Shown for You?
From making your day to altering your path, we are interested in chance encounters that have stuck with you.
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