During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Because my friend was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the canteen, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I explained that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I consider applying for a job with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The man from Iraq came up to me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but immediately explained to my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she declared: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for three years. One of the benefits was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in multiple respects. I didn't possess the courage or self-assurance to contact anyone at an elite institution and ask for a job. And, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York paved the way for a role in Europe where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Someone You Didn't Know Has Once Performed for You?
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