During the late 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to the European continent with a companion. Because my companion was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had arranged a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we got some food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I ought to seek a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that night. The man from Iraq approached me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – 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 opportunities abound – she said: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his full name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in multiple respects. I lacked the courage or self-assurance to contact anyone at an prestigious college and seek a position. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York resulted in a position in Switzerland where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Someone You Didn't Know Has Shown for You?
Whether it's brightening your mood to transforming your future, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have left a lasting impression.
We invite you to tell us if you are 18 or over, without revealing your identity if you wish. The stories you tell are confidential, and will only be used the purpose of this feature.
