During the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Since my friend was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had planned a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a big 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the canteen, where we grabbed food, sat down, and began chatting with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program 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 electron microscope unit at Columbia University – close to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I ought to seek a job with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that after dark. The Iraqi student came up to me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but right away explained to my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a place where anything feels possible – she responded: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his name, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in so many ways. I would never have had the courage or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
What's more, that role at the university paved the way for a job in Zurich where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person 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?
Whether it's making your day to altering your path, we are interested in chance encounters that have stuck with you.
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