During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Because my companion was considering pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had arranged a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the UWS known as International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and started talking to other diners.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did for a living, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an research lab at the institution – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I consider applying for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, returning to the canteen that evening. The engineering student came up to me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but straight off informed my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she responded: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I was granted 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 remarkable generosity altered my destiny in multiple respects. I didn't possess the bravery or nerve to reach out at an Ivy League university and request employment. Additionally, I had always wanted to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Critically, that role at the university paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to changing your life, we are interested in random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
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