During the late 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to Europe with a friend. Because my companion was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had booked a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a large 10-storey building on the Upper West Side named International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, found a table, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He asked me 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 working on studies using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an research lab at the institution – close to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I consider applying 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, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The Iraqi student came up to me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but right away told my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where opportunities abound – she said: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his full name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in numerous aspects. I would never have had the confidence or nerve to reach out at an elite institution and seek a position. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that role at the university led me to a job in Zurich where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
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