In the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a companion. Because my travel mate was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had arranged a two-week stay there en route to London.
We reached the postgrad residence, a large ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side named International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we got some food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – right next door to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I ought to seek a job with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The engineering student came up to me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but straight off explained to my host that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she responded: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for three years. One of the benefits was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in so many ways. I lacked the confidence or self-belief to reach out at an elite institution and request employment. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
Critically, that job in New York paved the way for a job in Zurich where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to transforming your future, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have stuck with you.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, anonymously if you prefer. The stories you tell are secure, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.
