In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a friend. Since my travel mate was considering starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had booked a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a big multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the dining hall, where we got some food, took a seat, and started talking to people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did for a living, and I shared that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an research lab at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I consider applying for a job with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The engineering student walked over to me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but right away informed my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a place where everything seems achievable – she responded: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his identity, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I would never have had the bravery or self-assurance to contact anyone at an elite institution and request employment. Moreover, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
What's more, that role at the university paved the way for a job in Zurich where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Someone You Didn't Know Has Once Performed for You?
From brightening your mood to changing your life, we would love to know unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, without revealing your identity if you choose. What you share are confidential, and are intended for the aim of this article.
