In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a companion. Since my friend was interested in starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had arranged a two-week stay there en route to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the canteen, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did for a living, and I shared that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I should apply for a role with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that evening. The man from Iraq walked over to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but straight off informed my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a city where anything feels possible – she said: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in so many ways. I didn't possess the bravery or self-belief to approach someone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York resulted in a role in Europe where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. 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 Once Performed for You?
From making your day to changing your life, we are interested in random meetings that have remained in your memory.
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