In the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Because my travel mate was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had booked a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, sat down, and began chatting with other diners.
Beside me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I told him that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He mentioned 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 recommended that I ought to seek a job with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The Iraqi student walked over to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but right away told my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she said: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for three years. One of the benefits was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his full name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the courage or self-belief to approach someone at an elite institution and request employment. Moreover, I had always wanted to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
What's more, that gig at Columbia led me to a job in Zurich where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Someone You Didn't Know Has Shown for You?
From cheering you up to altering your path, we would love to know chance encounters that have remained in your memory.
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