In the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my travel mate was considering pursuing a master’s degree 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 Upper West Side known as International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and began chatting with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did for a living, and I shared that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – right next door to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I should apply for a job with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that night. The Iraqi student walked over to me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but immediately explained to my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a city where anything feels possible – she declared: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his identity, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in so many ways. I lacked the courage or self-belief to approach someone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. And, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia resulted in a position in Switzerland where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Someone You Didn't Know Has Once Performed for You?
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