In the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Since my friend was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had arranged a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a big ten-floor structure on the UWS called International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, sat down, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I shared that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the university – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that after dark. The man from Iraq came up to me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but straight off told my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a city where anything feels possible – she declared: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his full name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in so many ways. I didn't possess the courage or self-belief to contact anyone at an prestigious college and ask for a job. And, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York resulted in a role in Europe 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 benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Someone You Didn't Know Has Ever Done for You?
From making your day to altering your path, we would love to know chance encounters that have left a lasting impression.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are 18 or over, keeping your details private if you wish. What you share are confidential, and are intended for the aim of this article.
