During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Since my friend was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had arranged a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a large 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the dining hall, where we got some food, took a seat, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I my profession was, and I told him that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I should apply for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that night. The engineering student walked over to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately informed my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a city where opportunities abound – she declared: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his identity, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in multiple respects. I lacked the courage or self-assurance to approach someone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university paved the way for a job in Zurich where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Tell us about the Kindest Gesture a Someone You Didn't Know Has Shown for You?
Whether it's making your day to altering your path, we would love to know random meetings that have stuck with you.
We invite you to tell us if you are of legal age, without revealing your identity if you wish. What you share are secure, and will only be used the goal of sharing inspiring stories.
