During the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Because my companion was considering enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had booked a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a big multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the canteen, where we got some food, found a table, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I shared that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – close to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I consider applying for a position with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The man from Iraq came up to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but straight off 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 place where anything feels possible – she declared: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the bravery or nerve to contact anyone at an prestigious college and request employment. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university resulted in a job in Zurich where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to altering your path, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have left a lasting impression.
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