In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my companion was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had arranged a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a big 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the dining hall, where we got some food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did, and I explained that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – close to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I consider applying for a job with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that night. 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. Because he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but straight off told my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she declared: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his full name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in numerous aspects. I would never have had the courage or self-assurance to approach someone at an prestigious college and request employment. And, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York paved the way for a role in Europe where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. 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?
From brightening your mood to transforming your future, we are interested in chance encounters that have left a lasting impression.
Please share your story if you are 18 or over, keeping your details private if you prefer. Your responses are secure, and are intended for the aim of this article.
