In the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my companion was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had booked a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the canteen, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and started talking to people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I my profession was, and I told him that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the university – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I consider applying for a position with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that after dark. The man from Iraq 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 straight off told my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where anything feels possible – she declared: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his identity, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in so many ways. I didn't possess the courage or nerve to reach out at an Ivy League university and request employment. Moreover, I had always wanted to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university led me to a role in Europe where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I now have a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Unknown Person Has Shown for You?
From cheering you up to altering your path, we are interested in random meetings that have stuck with you.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are 18 or over, anonymously if you wish. Your responses are confidential, and are solely for the aim of this article.
