In the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Since my friend was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had booked a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a big 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – right next door to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I consider applying for a role with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that evening. The engineering student walked over to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately told my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where opportunities abound – she responded: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I got complimentary education 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 full name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I would never have had the courage or self-assurance to contact anyone at an prestigious college and request employment. And, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York paved the way for a job in Zurich where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's making your day to altering your path, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have left a lasting impression.
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