🔗 Share this article

During the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Since my companion was considering enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.

We got to the graduate housing, a big 10-storey building on the Upper West Side named International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the dining hall, where we got some food, found a table, and started talking to fellow residents.

Beside me was an Iraqi man studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did, and I explained that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.

He noted that there was an research lab at Columbia University – close to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I should apply for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.

The following day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The engineering student walked over to me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but right away told my host that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.

As is common in NYC – a place where opportunities abound – she said: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.

I was employed there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a postgrad program in international relations.

I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his full name, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in numerous aspects. I would never have had the confidence or nerve to approach someone at an Ivy League university and request employment. And, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.

Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia led me to a role in Europe where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.

Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?

Whether it's cheering you up to transforming your future, we want to hear about random meetings that have remained in your memory.

We invite you to tell us if you are an adult, without revealing your identity if you prefer. What you share are protected, and will only be used the purpose of this feature.