During the late 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my companion was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had planned a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the UWS known as International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, sat down, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He asked me what I did for a living, and I shared that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I should apply for a position with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that evening. The Iraqi student came up to me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but right away informed my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she declared: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in multiple respects. I didn't possess the confidence or self-assurance to contact anyone at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
Critically, that job in New York led me to a job in Zurich where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Someone You Didn't Know Has Once Performed for You?
Whether it's brightening your mood to changing your life, we want to hear about unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.
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