During the late 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a companion. Because my friend was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had planned a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He asked me what I did, and I told him that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the university – close to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I consider applying for a job with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The man from Iraq walked over 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 taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but immediately informed my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a city where anything feels possible – she responded: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for three years. A perk of the job was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his identity, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in numerous aspects. I lacked the bravery or self-assurance to approach someone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia resulted in a job in Zurich where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Someone You Didn't Know Has Ever Done for You?
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