In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my travel mate was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had arranged a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the canteen, where we got some food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He asked me what I did, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the university – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I consider applying for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The engineering student came up to me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately explained to my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she responded: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his name, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in multiple respects. I didn't possess the courage or self-belief to reach out at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia resulted in a job in Zurich where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Kindest Gesture a Someone You Didn't Know Has Once Performed for You?
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