During the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Because my companion was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had arranged a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a big ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the canteen, where we got some food, found a table, and started talking to fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I my profession was, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an research lab at the university – close to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I ought to seek a role with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that night. The man from Iraq came up to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but straight off informed my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she responded: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for three years. One of the benefits was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I would never have had the bravery or self-belief to approach someone at an prestigious college and seek a position. And, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia resulted in a position in Switzerland where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Tell us about the Nicest Thing a Stranger Has Shown for You?
From cheering you up to altering your path, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, keeping your details private if you choose. Your responses are secure, and will only be used the goal of sharing inspiring stories.
