In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Because my companion was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had arranged a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I shared that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at the university – adjacent to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I ought to seek a position with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that night. The Iraqi student approached me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but straight off informed my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a city where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his identity, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in multiple respects. I would never have had the bravery or self-belief to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. And, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York led me to a job in Zurich where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?
From cheering you up to altering your path, we are interested in chance encounters that have stuck with you.
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