In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Because my travel mate was interested in starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had arranged a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a large 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, found a table, and began chatting 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 for a living, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I consider applying for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The man from Iraq came up to me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but straight off told my host that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a city where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his full name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in so many ways. I lacked the courage or nerve to approach someone at an elite institution and request employment. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia resulted in a job in Zurich where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?
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