During the late 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Because my friend was considering starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had planned a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We reached the postgrad residence, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the dining hall, where we got some food, found a table, and started talking to fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at Columbia University. He inquired what I my profession was, and I explained that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an research lab at the university – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I should apply for a job 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 went out exploring, returning to the canteen that evening. The engineering student walked over to me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but straight off explained to my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a place where anything feels possible – she responded: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for three years. A perk of the job was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his identity, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in numerous aspects. I would never have had the bravery or nerve to reach out at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. And, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university led me to a position in Switzerland where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?
From making your day to changing your life, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have left a lasting impression.
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