In the late 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my travel mate was interested in starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had arranged a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a large ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, sat down, and started talking to fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – close to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I ought to seek a position with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The man from Iraq approached me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but straight off told my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for three years. A perk of the job was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his identity, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in multiple respects. I lacked the bravery or self-belief to reach out at an elite institution and seek a position. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that role at the university resulted in a position in Switzerland where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?
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