In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my friend was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had planned a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a big multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the canteen, where we got some food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did, and I explained that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – adjacent to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I consider applying for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that night. The Iraqi student walked over to 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 went to the meeting – but immediately explained to my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she declared: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” 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 used the opportunity to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his full name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I didn't possess the bravery or nerve to reach out at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. And, I had always wanted to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that job in New York paved the way for a role in Europe where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I now have a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Someone You Didn't Know Has Ever Done for You?
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