In the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Because my friend was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had booked a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a large ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the canteen, where we got some food, took a seat, and began chatting with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I shared that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an research lab at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I consider applying for a role with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that night. The Iraqi student approached me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but immediately explained to my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a city where opportunities abound – she responded: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for three years. A perk of the job was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his full name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in multiple respects. I would never have had the confidence or self-assurance to approach someone at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Additionally, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that job in New York led me to a position in Switzerland where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Shown for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to transforming your future, we want to hear about unexpected interactions that have left a lasting impression.
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