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During the late 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Because my companion was considering enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had booked a fortnight visit there en route to London.

We arrived at the student accommodation, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side named International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the canteen, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.

Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man studying engineering at Columbia University. He asked me what I did, and I shared that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.

He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – close to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I ought to seek a role with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.

The following day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that night. The man from Iraq walked over to me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but right away told my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.

In typical New York fashion – a place where everything seems achievable – she declared: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.

I was employed there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a graduate degree in global studies.

We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his full name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in multiple respects. I would never have had the confidence or self-assurance to reach out at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. And, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.

Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university resulted in a job in Zurich where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.

What is the Kindest Gesture a Someone You Didn't Know Has Once Performed for You?

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