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During the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Because my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had planned a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.

We got to the graduate housing, a big ten-floor structure on the UWS named International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the dining hall, where we got some food, sat down, and started talking to fellow residents.

Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at Columbia University. He asked me what I did for a living, and I told him that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.

He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – close to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I consider applying for a position with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.

The next day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The man from Iraq walked over to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but immediately told my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.

Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where opportunities abound – she said: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.

I was employed there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a master’s of international affairs.

We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his full name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I lacked the bravery or self-assurance to approach someone at an Ivy League university and request employment. Moreover, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.

Critically, that role at the university paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.

Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?

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