During the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Because my friend was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had planned a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a large ten-floor structure on the UWS named International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the canteen, where we got some food, took a seat, and began chatting with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did for a living, and I shared that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at the institution – adjacent to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I ought to seek a job 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 next day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The man from Iraq approached me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but straight off informed my host that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a city where opportunities abound – she responded: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his full name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in multiple respects. I would never have had the confidence or self-belief to approach someone at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia led me to a job in Zurich where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Nicest Thing a Unknown Person Has Shown for You?
From brightening your mood to changing your life, we are interested in chance encounters that have stuck with you.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are 18 or over, keeping your details private if you choose. The stories you tell are protected, and are intended for the aim of this article.
