During the late 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Since my companion was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the UWS called International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we got some food, took a seat, and began chatting with people eating there.
Beside me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I should apply for a position with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that night. The Iraqi student approached me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but straight off told my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a city where everything seems achievable – she responded: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for three years. A perk of the job was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his full name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the bravery or self-assurance to approach someone at an Ivy League university and request employment. Additionally, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that job in New York paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Someone You Didn't Know Has Once Performed for You?
From brightening your mood to changing your life, we would love to know unexpected interactions that have left a lasting impression.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are 18 or over, without revealing your identity if you wish. What you share are confidential, and are solely for the goal of sharing inspiring stories.
