During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Because my friend was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had booked a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a large ten-floor structure on the UWS known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, found a table, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – close to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I consider applying for a position with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that night. The man from Iraq came up to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but immediately informed my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in multiple respects. I lacked the confidence or self-assurance to approach someone at an elite institution and ask for a job. And, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that job in New York resulted in a job in Zurich where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Someone You Didn't Know Has Once Performed for You?
From cheering you up to altering your path, we would love to know random meetings that have stuck with you.
We invite you to tell us if you are of legal age, anonymously if you choose. What you share are confidential, and will only be used the aim of this article.
