During the late 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my travel mate was considering enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had booked a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side known as International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and began chatting with people eating there.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – close to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I should apply for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that night. The Iraqi student approached me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but right away informed my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she declared: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his identity, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in so many ways. I lacked the confidence or self-assurance to contact anyone at an elite institution and request employment. Moreover, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university led me to a job in Zurich where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?
Whether it's making your day to changing your life, we would love to know random meetings that have stuck with you.
Please share your story if you are 18 or over, without revealing your identity if you prefer. What you share are secure, and are intended for the goal of sharing inspiring stories.
