In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to Europe with a friend. Because my companion was interested in starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had booked a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a large multi-story edifice on the UWS named International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, found a table, and began chatting with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I explained 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 – close to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, returning to the canteen that evening. The man from Iraq approached me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but immediately told my host that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a city where anything feels possible – she responded: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for three years. A perk of the job was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in so many ways. I didn't possess the courage or self-assurance to approach someone at an elite institution and request employment. Moreover, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that gig at Columbia resulted in a position in Switzerland where I met my wonderful partner, 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 Once Performed for You?
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