During the late 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Since my friend was exploring starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had booked a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a big ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we got some food, took a seat, and started talking to people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I ought to seek a job with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The man from Iraq walked over to me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but immediately informed my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where opportunities abound – she said: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in multiple respects. I would never have had the bravery or self-belief to reach out at an elite institution and request employment. Additionally, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York resulted in a position in Switzerland where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising 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 Unknown Person Has Shown for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to transforming your future, we would love to know chance encounters that have remained in your memory.
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