During the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Since my friend was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had planned a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a sizeable 10-storey building on the UWS called International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Beside me was an Iraqi man studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I told him that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at Columbia University – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I consider applying for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The Iraqi student walked over to me and told 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 immediately told my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she declared: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his identity, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I lacked the confidence or nerve to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Additionally, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that job in New York resulted in a position in Switzerland where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to altering your path, we want to hear about chance encounters that have left a lasting impression.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, without revealing your identity if you choose. The stories you tell are secure, and will only be used the purpose of this feature.
