🔗 Share this article

During the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to Europe with a friend. Because my travel mate was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had arranged a fortnight visit there en route to London.

We reached the graduate housing, a large 10-storey building on the UWS called International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the canteen, where we got some food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.

Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I explained that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.

He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the university – adjacent to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I ought to seek a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.

The following day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that evening. The Iraqi student came up to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately explained to my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.

Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where anything feels possible – she said: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.

I held that position for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a graduate degree in global studies.

I never saw that student again and I can't recall his identity, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I would never have had the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. Moreover, I had always wanted to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.

Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university paved the way for a job in Zurich where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.

Tell us about the Kindest Gesture a Someone You Didn't Know Has Once Performed for You?

Whether it's cheering you up to altering your path, we would love to know unexpected interactions that have stuck with you.

Please share your story if you are an adult, without revealing your identity if you prefer. What you share are protected, and will only be used the aim of this article.