In the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Because my friend was considering starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had planned a two-week stay there en route to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a big 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, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at Columbia University – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended 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 did not possess a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The Iraqi student walked over to me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but right away informed my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she declared: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in numerous aspects. I would never have had the courage or nerve to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. And, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that gig at Columbia resulted in a job in Zurich where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
What is the Nicest Thing a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?
Whether it's making your day to altering your path, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.
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