During the late 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to Europe with a companion. Because my travel mate was interested in starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had planned a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a sizeable 10-storey building on the UWS named International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, sat down, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did for a living, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – close to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I should apply for a role with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The man from Iraq came up to me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but right away explained to my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a city where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in multiple respects. I would never have had the courage or nerve to approach someone at an prestigious college and request employment. And, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that gig at Columbia resulted in a job in Zurich where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person 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 Shown for You?
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