During the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a friend. Because my friend was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we got some food, found a table, and started talking to people eating there.
Beside me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I my profession was, 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 microscopy facility at the university – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I ought to seek a position with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was about to fly 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 night. The engineering student walked over to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but straight off informed my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she said: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his full name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in so many ways. I would never have had the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an prestigious college and seek a position. Additionally, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that job in New York led me to a role in Europe where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Someone You Didn't Know Has Shown for You?
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