During the late 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to Europe with a friend. Because my travel mate was considering starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had booked a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a large 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the canteen, where we got some food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did, and I explained that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – close to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I ought to seek a position with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that night. The Iraqi student walked over to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but immediately informed my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a place where anything feels possible – she declared: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I was granted free tuition 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 name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in so many ways. I would never have had the courage or self-assurance to approach someone at an Ivy League university and request employment. Additionally, I had always wanted to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Critically, that role at the university paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person 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?
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