During the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a companion. Because my friend was considering pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had booked a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we got some food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I shared that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – right next door to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I should apply for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that evening. The Iraqi student came up to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but immediately informed my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she declared: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for three years. One of the benefits was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his identity, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in so many ways. I lacked the bravery or nerve to reach out at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. And, I had always wanted to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
What's more, that role at the university paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have four amazing children. 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 Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?
From brightening your mood to altering your path, we are interested in chance encounters that have left a lasting impression.
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