In the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a friend. Since my travel mate was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had arranged a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a big 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we got some food, found a table, and started talking to people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I my profession was, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – close to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I should apply for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, returning to the canteen that evening. The engineering student approached me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but straight off explained to my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a place where everything seems achievable – she said: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his identity, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in multiple respects. I lacked the courage or nerve to reach out at an elite institution and seek a position. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York resulted in a job in Zurich where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?
From making your day to transforming your future, we would love to know random meetings that have remained in your memory.
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