In the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Because my companion was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a large multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, found a table, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He inquired what I did for a living, and I shared that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I ought to seek a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that night. The engineering student came up to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but immediately told my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she said: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his full name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in multiple respects. I would never have had the courage or self-belief to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and request employment. Moreover, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia resulted in a role in Europe where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?
Whether it's making your day to altering your path, we would love to know unexpected interactions that have left a lasting impression.
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