During the late 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Since my friend was interested in starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had arranged a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We reached the postgrad residence, a big ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side named International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, found a table, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did, and I shared that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – close to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I ought to seek a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The man from Iraq approached me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but straight off explained to my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a city where opportunities abound – she said: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his full name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in numerous aspects. I would never have had the bravery or self-assurance to contact anyone at an elite institution and seek a position. And, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
Critically, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a role in Europe where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I now have four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?
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