During the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Because my friend was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had booked a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, found a table, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did, and I explained that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I should apply for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that after dark. The engineering student approached me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately explained to my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where anything feels possible – she responded: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his full name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in so many ways. I didn't possess the bravery or self-assurance to approach someone at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
What's more, that job in New York paved the way for a role in Europe where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I now have a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Shown for You?
From cheering you up to altering your path, we are interested in random meetings that have remained in your memory.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are 18 or over, keeping your details private if you prefer. The stories you tell are confidential, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.
