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During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Because my friend was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had booked a fortnight visit there en route to London.

We got to the student accommodation, a big ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and began chatting with other diners.

Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did for a living, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.

He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the university – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I consider applying for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.

The following day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The man from Iraq approached me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but right away told my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.

In typical New York fashion – a city where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.

I held that position for three years. A perk of the job was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a master’s of international affairs.

I never saw that student again and I can't recall his name, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in so many ways. I would never have had the confidence or self-assurance to contact anyone at an elite institution and request employment. Moreover, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.

Critically, that role at the university led me to a position in Switzerland where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.

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

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