In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Since my travel mate was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We reached the postgrad residence, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the canteen, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and started talking to fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did, and I shared that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I consider applying for a role with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The Iraqi student approached me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but straight off told my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she said: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the courage or self-belief to approach someone at an elite institution and seek a position. Additionally, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that role at the university paved the way for a job in Zurich where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's making your day to altering your path, we want to hear about random meetings that have stuck with you.
Please share your story if you are of legal age, without revealing your identity if you prefer. The stories you tell are secure, and are intended for the goal of sharing inspiring stories.
