During the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Because my friend was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had planned a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and began chatting with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I my profession was, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
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 recommended that I ought to seek a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that night. The man from Iraq approached me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but straight off told my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a place where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in so many ways. I would never have had the courage or self-belief to approach someone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Moreover, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
What's more, that role at the university resulted in a position in Switzerland where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger redirected my path 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 making your day to changing your life, we are interested in random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
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