In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a friend. Since my friend was considering pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had booked a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the canteen, where we picked up meals, found a table, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – adjacent to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I consider applying for a position with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that night. The engineering student walked over to me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but right away informed my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where opportunities abound – she responded: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for three years. One of the benefits was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his identity, but his selfless gesture changed my life in so many ways. I didn't possess the bravery or self-belief to approach someone at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Critically, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a job in Zurich where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Someone You Didn't Know Has Shown for You?
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