During the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Because my friend was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had planned 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 known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, sat down, and started talking to people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He asked me what I did for a living, and I told him that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – adjacent to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I ought to seek a role with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that night. The man from Iraq walked over to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but right away informed my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a place where anything feels possible – she responded: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I lacked the bravery or self-belief to reach out at an prestigious college and ask for a job. And, I had always wanted to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia led me to a job in Zurich where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?
From cheering you up to altering your path, we want to hear about unexpected interactions that have stuck with you.
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