During the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my companion was exploring starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had arranged a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We reached the postgrad residence, a large multi-story edifice on the UWS called International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did, and I told him that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at Columbia University – right next door 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 dismissed the idea, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that night. The Iraqi student approached me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but straight off informed my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where everything seems achievable – she said: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his full name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the courage or self-assurance to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. And, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
What's more, that gig at Columbia resulted in a position in Switzerland where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?
From cheering you up to transforming your future, we are interested in chance encounters that have remained in your memory.
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