During the late 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a companion. Because my travel mate was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had booked a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a big multi-story edifice on the UWS named International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, took a seat, 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 just graduated with a science degree and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I ought to seek a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The engineering student walked over to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but straight off explained to my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where opportunities abound – she said: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his identity, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in numerous aspects. I lacked the confidence or self-belief to approach someone at an elite institution and request employment. Moreover, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Someone You Didn't Know Has Shown for You?
From brightening your mood to transforming your future, we are interested in chance encounters that have left a lasting impression.
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