In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Because my friend was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a big ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the dining hall, where we got some food, took a seat, and started talking to people eating there.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did, and I shared that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – right next door to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I should apply for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that evening. The man from Iraq came up to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but immediately explained to my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a place where anything feels possible – she responded: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his full name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the courage or self-belief to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. And, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York led me to a job in Zurich where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Someone You Didn't Know 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.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, anonymously if you prefer. Your responses are confidential, and are solely for the purpose of this feature.
