During the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my friend was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had arranged a two-week stay there en route to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we got some food, found a table, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I told him that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I should apply for a role with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that after dark. The engineering student walked over to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but straight off informed my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she declared: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for three years. A perk of the job was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in numerous aspects. I would never have had the confidence or self-assurance to reach out at an prestigious college and request employment. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
Critically, that role at the university paved the way for a job in Zurich where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Shown for You?
From brightening your mood to transforming your future, we are interested in random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, keeping your details private if you prefer. The stories you tell are secure, and will only be used the aim of this article.
