During the late 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Because my friend was interested in starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had booked a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a sizeable 10-storey building on the UWS named International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and started talking to other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did, and I told him that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – close to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I ought to seek a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The Iraqi student walked over to me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but right away told my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a place where anything feels possible – she responded: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” 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 complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his full name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in so many ways. I didn't possess the confidence or nerve to approach someone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Moreover, I had always wanted to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York resulted in a job in Zurich where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Tell us about the Nicest Thing a Someone You Didn't Know Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's making your day to changing your life, we would love to know chance encounters that have left a lasting impression.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, anonymously if you choose. Your responses are protected, and will only be used the goal of sharing inspiring stories.
