In the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my companion was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, found a table, and started talking to people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I ought to seek a position with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The man from Iraq came up to me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but right away explained to my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she responded: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his identity, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in multiple respects. I didn't possess the confidence or self-belief to approach someone at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Additionally, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Critically, that role at the university resulted in a job in Zurich where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Someone You Didn't Know Has Ever Done for You?
From making your day to changing your life, we would love to know unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are 18 or over, without revealing your identity if you choose. The stories you tell are secure, and will only be used the aim of this article.
