In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Because my companion was exploring starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had planned a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a big 10-storey building on the Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the canteen, where we got some food, sat down, and began chatting with people eating there.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did for a living, and I shared that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – close to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I should apply for a job with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that night. The man from Iraq approached me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately informed my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in multiple respects. I would never have had the courage or self-belief to approach someone at an Ivy League university and request employment. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia led me to a role in Europe where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Nicest Thing a Stranger Has Once Performed 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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