In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a friend. Because my travel mate was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had booked a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a big multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we got some food, found a table, and began chatting with people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an research lab at the university – close to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I consider applying for a role with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The engineering student approached me and told me that he had organized a discussion 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 informed my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a place where opportunities abound – she declared: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in multiple respects. I would never have had the confidence or self-assurance to reach out at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Moreover, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York led me to a job in Zurich where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Shown for You?
Whether it's making your day to altering your path, we would love to know unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.
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