🔗 Share this article

During the late 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a companion. Because my friend was considering enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had arranged a fortnight visit there before heading to London.

We reached the graduate housing, a big ten-floor structure on the UWS known as International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, sat down, and began chatting with fellow residents.

Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did, and I told him that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.

He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I ought to seek a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.

The next day I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The engineering student walked over to me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but immediately informed my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.

In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she responded: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.

I worked there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a master’s of international affairs.

We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his identity, but his selfless gesture changed my life in numerous aspects. I would never have had the confidence or self-belief to approach someone at an prestigious college and seek a position. Moreover, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.

What's more, that role at the university paved the way for a role in Europe where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.

Tell us about the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?

From making your day to altering your path, we would love to know chance encounters that have remained in your memory.

Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, keeping your details private if you wish. The stories you tell are secure, and are solely for the purpose of this feature.