In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to Europe with a friend. Because my travel mate was interested in starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had booked a two-week stay there en route to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a large ten-floor structure on the UWS known as International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, found a table, and started talking to fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I explained that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at the institution – close to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I should apply for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The Iraqi student walked over to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but right away told my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a city where anything feels possible – she said: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in multiple respects. I didn't possess the courage or self-belief to contact anyone at an prestigious college and request employment. And, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Tell us about the Kindest Gesture a Someone You Didn't Know Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's making your day to transforming your future, we want to hear about unexpected interactions that have left a lasting impression.
We invite you to tell us if you are 18 or over, anonymously if you wish. What you share are confidential, and are solely for the aim of this article.
