During the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Since my friend was interested in starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had booked a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a big 10-storey building on the UWS named International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the canteen, where we got some food, sat down, and started talking to fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I explained that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I should apply for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The engineering student approached me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but immediately told my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a city where anything feels possible – she said: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for three years. An advantage of the role was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his identity, but his selfless gesture changed my life in numerous aspects. I would never have had the courage or self-assurance to reach out at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Critically, that job in New York paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Someone You Didn't Know Has Shown for You?
From brightening your mood to changing your life, we are interested in random meetings that have stuck with you.
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