During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a companion. Since my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had planned a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a large ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and began chatting with people eating there.
Beside me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – close to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I consider applying for a role with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The engineering student came up to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but straight off explained to my host that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a city where anything feels possible – she responded: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for three years. One of the benefits was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his full name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in so many ways. I would never have had the bravery or self-belief to reach out at an prestigious college and seek a position. And, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that job in New York led me to a position in Switzerland where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Someone You Didn't Know Has Once Performed for You?
From cheering you up to changing your life, we would love to know chance encounters that have stuck with you.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, without revealing your identity if you choose. The stories you tell are confidential, and are intended for the aim of this article.
