During the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a friend. Because my friend was interested in starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had arranged a two-week stay there en route to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a big ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and started talking to people eating there.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did, and I told him that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I consider applying for a role with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that night. The man from Iraq walked over to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but right away explained to my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his identity, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in numerous aspects. I lacked the confidence or self-assurance to reach out at an prestigious college and request employment. Moreover, I had long dreamed 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 resulted in a role in Europe where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Someone You Didn't Know Has Once Performed for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to changing your life, we want to hear about random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, keeping your details private if you wish. Your responses are secure, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.
