In the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Since my travel mate was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had planned a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the UWS known as International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the canteen, where we got some food, sat down, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Beside me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at the university – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I consider applying for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that evening. The Iraqi student approached me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but immediately explained to my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she responded: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his full name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in numerous aspects. I would never have had the confidence or self-belief to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Critically, that role at the university paved the way for a job in Zurich where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Shown for You?
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