During the late 1980s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Because my friend was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had planned a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we got some food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Beside me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I did, and I told him that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an research lab at Columbia University – close to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I consider applying for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The man from Iraq came up to me and informed me 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 showed up for the discussion – but immediately told my host that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a place where opportunities abound – she responded: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in multiple respects. I didn't possess the courage or self-belief to reach out at an elite institution and request employment. Additionally, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York resulted in a role in Europe where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Someone You Didn't Know Has Once Performed for You?
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