In the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a friend. Since my travel mate was exploring starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had planned a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a big 10-storey building on the UWS called International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the canteen, where we picked up meals, sat down, and started talking to other diners.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I told him that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at the university – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I ought to seek a role with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The Iraqi student approached me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but immediately informed my prospective employer 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 declared: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his full name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I would never have had the courage or nerve to reach out at an elite institution and request employment. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that role at the university led me to a role in Europe where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Someone You Didn't Know Has Shown for You?
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