In the late 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Since my travel mate was exploring starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had planned a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a big multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the dining hall, where we got some food, found a table, and began chatting with people eating there.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did, and I told him that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I ought to seek a position with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that night. The Iraqi student came up to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but right away explained to my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a city where everything seems achievable – she said: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the confidence or self-assurance to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. And, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that job in New York resulted in a role in Europe where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?
From cheering you up to altering your path, we are interested in random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
We invite you to tell us if you are 18 or over, without revealing your identity if you prefer. What you share are protected, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.
