In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a companion. Because my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had planned a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We reached 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 canteen, where we grabbed food, found a table, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at Columbia University – close to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I ought to seek a position with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that night. The man from Iraq walked over to me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but right away informed my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a place where opportunities abound – she declared: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his full name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I would never have had the courage or self-assurance to approach someone at an prestigious college and seek a position. And, I had always wanted to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university resulted in a role in Europe where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Shown for You?
From making your day to transforming your future, we would love to know chance encounters that have stuck with you.
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