In the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to the European continent with a friend. Because my friend was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had booked a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a big 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the dining hall, where we got some food, sat down, and started talking to people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did, and I told him that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – right next door to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I ought to seek a job with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that evening. The Iraqi student approached me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but right away told my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where opportunities abound – she declared: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in numerous aspects. I would never have had the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Additionally, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York paved the way for a job in Zurich where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I now have four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
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