In the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to the European continent with a friend. Since my friend was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had booked a two-week stay there en route to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did, and I explained that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – right next door to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I should apply for a role with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The engineering student walked over to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but right away informed my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she declared: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for three years. An advantage of the role was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his identity, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in multiple respects. I lacked the confidence or self-assurance to approach someone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Additionally, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Shown for You?
From brightening your mood to transforming your future, we want to hear about chance encounters that have stuck with you.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, without revealing your identity if you choose. What you share are confidential, and are solely for the purpose of this feature.
