During the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a companion. Because my friend was interested in starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had booked a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the canteen, where we picked up meals, found a table, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man studying engineering at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I shared that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – close to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I consider applying for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that after dark. The Iraqi student came up to me and told me that he had set up a meeting 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 explained to my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a place where anything feels possible – she declared: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in multiple respects. I would never have had the bravery or nerve to approach someone at an elite institution and seek a position. Moreover, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that job in New York paved the way for a role in Europe where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Nicest Thing a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's making your day to altering your path, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have stuck with you.
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