In the late 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Because my travel mate was interested in starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had booked a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a big multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, found a table, and started talking to people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at Columbia University. He inquired what I did, and I told him that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at the university – close to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I ought to seek a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that night. The man from Iraq approached me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but immediately told my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a city where opportunities abound – she responded: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his full name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in so many ways. I didn't possess the courage or self-belief to approach someone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Tell us about the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Shown for You?
From making your day to altering your path, we are interested in random meetings that have stuck with you.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, without revealing your identity if you prefer. Your responses are protected, and will only be used the goal of sharing inspiring stories.
