During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my friend was considering starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had arranged a two-week stay there en route to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, sat down, and began chatting with people eating there.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did, and I shared that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the university – adjacent to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I ought to seek a role with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that night. The engineering student approached me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but immediately explained to my host that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his identity, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in multiple respects. I didn't possess the bravery or self-belief to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. And, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
What's more, that role at the university led me to a role in Europe where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Tell us about the Kindest Gesture a Someone You Didn't Know Has Once Performed for You?
From cheering you up to altering your path, we are interested in random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
We invite you to tell us if you are an adult, keeping your details private if you prefer. What you share are protected, and are solely for the goal of sharing inspiring stories.
