During the late 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to Europe with a companion. Because my travel mate was considering enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a large 10-storey building on the Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, sat down, and began chatting with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man studying engineering at Columbia University. 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 with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an research lab at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I should apply for a job with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that after dark. The engineering student approached me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately explained to 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 responded: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in multiple respects. I didn't possess the confidence or self-assurance to reach out at an Ivy League university and seek a position. And, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
What's more, that job in New York resulted in a position in Switzerland where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Nicest Thing a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to altering your path, we are interested in random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
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