In the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my companion was considering pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had booked a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the UWS named International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, sat down, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did, and I told him that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – adjacent to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I should apply for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, returning to the canteen that evening. The man from Iraq approached me and let me know that he had arranged an interview 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 right away 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 metropolis where opportunities abound – she declared: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for three years. One of the benefits was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in multiple respects. I lacked the confidence or nerve to reach out at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I now have a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Someone You Didn't Know Has Once Performed for You?
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