During the late 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Since my friend was considering starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the canteen, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and started talking to people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did, and I told him that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at the institution – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I should apply for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that night. The man from Iraq approached me and let me know 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 went to the meeting – but straight off told my host that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she said: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for three years. An advantage of the role 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 don’t even know his name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in numerous aspects. I lacked the bravery or nerve to reach out at an Ivy League university and request employment. Additionally, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that role at the university resulted in a job in Zurich where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Shown for You?
Whether it's making your day to altering your path, we want to hear about unexpected interactions that have left a lasting impression.
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