In the late 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Because my companion was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had arranged a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We reached the postgrad residence, a big ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, found a table, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Beside me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He inquired what I did for a living, and I explained that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at the institution – right next door to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I consider applying for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that night. The engineering student came up to me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but right away informed my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she responded: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in so many ways. I didn't possess the bravery or nerve to contact anyone at an elite institution and ask for a job. Additionally, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that gig at Columbia resulted in a position in Switzerland where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?
Whether it's making your day to transforming your future, we would love to know chance encounters that have remained in your memory.
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