In the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Because my travel mate was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had booked a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the dining hall, where we got some food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Beside me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I my profession was, and I explained that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at the institution – close to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I should apply for a role with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that after dark. The engineering student approached me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but right away informed my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight 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 postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his identity, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in so many ways. I lacked the confidence or nerve to contact anyone at an prestigious college and seek a position. And, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
What's more, that role at the university resulted in a position in Switzerland where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
From brightening your mood to transforming your future, we are interested in random meetings that have stuck with you.
We invite you to tell us if you are 18 or over, keeping your details private if you wish. What you share are confidential, and will only be used the purpose of this feature.
