In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a friend. Since my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had booked a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a large 10-storey building on the UWS called International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, sat down, and started talking to fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I my profession was, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – right next door to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I ought to seek a position with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that night. The man from Iraq walked over to me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but straight off told my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in so many ways. I lacked the courage or self-belief to reach out at an Ivy League university and request employment. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that job in New York led me to a position in Switzerland where I met 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 eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Stranger Has Shown for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to altering your path, we are interested in chance encounters that have left a lasting impression.
Please share your story if you are an adult, without revealing your identity if you wish. The stories you tell are confidential, and are intended for the aim of this article.
