In the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Because my friend was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had planned a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a large multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, sat down, and started talking to people eating there.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at the university – right next door to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I should apply for a role with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The Iraqi student came up to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately told my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – 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 worked there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his full name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I lacked the courage or nerve to reach out at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
What's more, that role at the university led me to a role in Europe where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I now have four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?
Whether it's making your day to altering your path, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, anonymously if you prefer. Your responses are confidential, and are solely for the goal of sharing inspiring stories.
