In the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Because my companion was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a big multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, found a table, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did, and I explained that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – adjacent to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I ought to seek a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that evening. The Iraqi student walked over to me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but straight off told my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in so many ways. I would never have had the courage or self-assurance to approach someone at an prestigious college and seek a position. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
Critically, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a role in Europe where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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 would love to know chance encounters that have left a lasting impression.
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