In the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to Europe with a companion. Because my friend was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and started talking to people eating there.
Beside me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I told him that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the university – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I should apply for a job with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The engineering student approached me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but right away explained to my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where anything feels possible – she declared: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in multiple respects. I didn't possess the courage or nerve to approach someone at an elite institution and ask for a job. Additionally, I had always wanted to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university led me to a job in Zurich where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Someone You Didn't Know Has Shown for You?
Whether it's making your day to transforming your future, we want to hear about random meetings that have remained in your memory.
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