During the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a friend. Because my travel mate was considering pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had arranged a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we got some food, sat down, and started talking to people eating there.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did for a living, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I ought to seek a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that evening. The engineering student walked over 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 showed up for the discussion – but straight off told my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a city where everything seems achievable – she declared: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his identity, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in multiple respects. I would never have had the confidence or self-belief to approach someone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. And, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that job in New York paved the way for a job in Zurich where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Shown for You?
From brightening your mood to transforming your future, we would love to know chance encounters that have stuck with you.
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