During the late 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to the European continent with a friend. Because my friend was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had planned a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a large multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the canteen, where we grabbed food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I did, and I told him that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the university – right next door to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I consider applying for a role with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The man from Iraq approached me and let me know 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 attended the interview – but straight off informed my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in multiple respects. I didn't possess the confidence or self-belief to approach someone at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Additionally, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that gig at Columbia resulted in a position in Switzerland where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Shown for You?
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