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In the late 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a friend. Because my companion was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had booked a two-week stay there before heading to London.

We reached the postgrad residence, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, sat down, and began chatting with other diners.

Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I told him that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.

He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – right next door to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I should apply for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.

The next day I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The engineering student came up to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but immediately told my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.

In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she said: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.

I was employed there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a master’s of international affairs.

I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in numerous aspects. I lacked the confidence or nerve to contact anyone at an elite institution and seek a position. And, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.

What's more, that job in New York paved the way for a role in Europe where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.

What is the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?

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