During the late 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Because my travel mate was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had planned a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the UWS named International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, sat down, and started talking to people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He inquired what I did for a living, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an research lab at Columbia University – close to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I ought to seek a position with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that after dark. The Iraqi student came up to me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but right away explained to my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she declared: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for three years. A perk of the job was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in multiple respects. I would never have had the confidence or nerve to approach someone at an Ivy League university and request employment. Additionally, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
Critically, that job in New York resulted in a job in Zurich where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's brightening your mood to transforming your future, we want to hear about random meetings that have stuck with you.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, keeping your details private if you prefer. The stories you tell are confidential, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.
