In the late 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to Europe with a companion. Since my companion was considering pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had planned a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we got some food, found a table, and began chatting with people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the university – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I should apply for a job with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that after dark. The engineering student came up to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but straight off explained to my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a city where opportunities abound – she said: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for three years. One of the benefits was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his identity, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in numerous aspects. I would never have had the bravery or nerve to contact anyone at an elite institution and ask for a job. Additionally, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Critically, that role at the university resulted in a role in Europe where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?
From making your day to altering your path, we are interested in random meetings that have stuck with you.
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