In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my companion was considering pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had arranged a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We reached the postgrad residence, a big 10-storey building on the UWS known as International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, found a table, and began chatting with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I explained that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the university – close to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I should apply for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, returning to the canteen that after dark. The engineering student approached me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately informed my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I also received complimentary education 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 full name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the confidence or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and seek a position. And, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that role at the university paved the way for a job in Zurich where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Someone You Didn't Know Has Ever Done for You?
From brightening your mood to transforming your future, we want to hear about unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.
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