During the late 1980s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Since my travel mate was considering enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a big multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I shared that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I should apply for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that night. The engineering student approached me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but right away informed my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she declared: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his identity, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in multiple respects. I lacked the bravery or self-assurance to approach someone at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Shown for You?
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