During the late 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to Europe with a companion. Since my friend was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had booked a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the UWS known as International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the canteen, where we got some food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He asked me 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 noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – close to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I ought to seek a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that evening. The Iraqi student came up to me and told me 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 told my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a city where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his identity, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in multiple respects. I lacked the bravery or nerve to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. Additionally, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that job in New York resulted in a position in Switzerland where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's making your day to altering your path, we are interested in chance encounters that have remained in your memory.
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