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In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a low-cost journey to Europe with a companion. Since my friend was considering pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had arranged a two-week stay there on the way to London.

We got to the student accommodation, a big 10-storey building on the UWS known as International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the canteen, where we got some food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.

Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.

He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I should apply for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.

The following day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The Iraqi student approached me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but immediately told my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.

Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where opportunities abound – she responded: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.

I held that position for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a postgrad program in international relations.

I lost touch with him and I can't recall his full name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in numerous aspects. I lacked the courage or self-assurance to reach out at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Moreover, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.

Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York paved the way for a role in Europe where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.

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

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