During the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had planned a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a big 10-storey building on the Upper West Side named International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the canteen, where we picked up meals, sat down, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did for a living, and I explained that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – right next door to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I ought to seek a role with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The Iraqi student approached me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but right away informed my host that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a city where opportunities abound – she said: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in multiple respects. I didn't possess the bravery or self-belief to reach out at an elite institution and request employment. Additionally, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York resulted in a role in Europe where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?
From brightening your mood to changing your life, we are interested in chance encounters that have left a lasting impression.
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