During the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Because my travel mate was considering enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had planned a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the UWS known as International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, found a table, and began chatting with other diners.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did, and I shared that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I consider applying for a job with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that night. The engineering student came up to me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but right away told my host that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for three years. A perk of the job was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in multiple respects. I would never have had the courage or self-belief to approach someone at an prestigious college and seek a position. Additionally, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that role at the university resulted in a role in Europe where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger redirected my path 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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