During the late 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Because my travel mate was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had planned a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a sizeable 10-storey building on the UWS named International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the canteen, where we picked up meals, sat down, and started talking to other diners.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He asked me what I my profession was, and I told him that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – close to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I consider applying for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, returning to the canteen that evening. The man from Iraq walked over to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but right away told my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a place where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his full name, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the courage or self-assurance to approach someone at an elite institution and seek a position. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York paved the way for a job in Zurich where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I now have a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Someone You Didn't Know Has Ever Done for You?
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