During the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a friend. Because my travel mate was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had arranged a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a large ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I my profession was, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I ought to seek a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The Iraqi student came up to me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but straight off explained to my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a place 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 was employed there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his identity, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the confidence or nerve to reach out at an prestigious college and ask for a job. And, I had always wanted to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
Critically, that role at the university resulted in a role in Europe where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?
From brightening your mood to altering your path, we want to hear about chance encounters that have stuck with you.
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