In the late 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Because my travel mate was exploring starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had planned a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a large ten-floor structure on the UWS known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the canteen, where we got some food, took a seat, and started talking to people eating there.
Beside me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I my profession was, and I shared that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I consider applying for a position with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The man from Iraq approached me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but immediately explained to my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she declared: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for three years. An advantage of the role was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in numerous aspects. I lacked the confidence or nerve to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Moreover, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?
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