In the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to Europe with a companion. Because my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had booked a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a large multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the canteen, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and started talking to other diners.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – close to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I consider applying for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The engineering student came up to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but immediately told my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where opportunities abound – she responded: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in numerous aspects. I lacked the courage or self-belief to reach out at an elite institution and request employment. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university resulted in a role in Europe where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
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