In the late 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to the European continent with a friend. Since my friend was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had arranged a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a sizeable 10-storey building on the UWS known as International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, sat down, and started talking to people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I ought to seek a role with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that night. The man from Iraq came up to me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but right away explained to my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she said: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his identity, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in so many ways. I didn't possess the bravery or nerve to contact anyone at an elite institution and ask for a job. Moreover, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Critically, that gig at Columbia resulted in a job in Zurich where I encountered my beautiful French husband, 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 always appreciative.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
From cheering you up to transforming your future, we are interested in random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, without revealing your identity if you choose. What you share are confidential, and are solely for the goal of sharing inspiring stories.
