In the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Since my friend 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 student accommodation, a large 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and began chatting with people eating there.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did, and I shared that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – close to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I consider applying for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
A day later 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 organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but right away explained to my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she responded: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his identity, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in multiple respects. I didn't possess the courage or nerve to reach out at an prestigious college and request employment. Additionally, I had always wanted to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a job in Zurich where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have 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 Stranger Has Shown for You?
From making your day to changing your life, we are interested in random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
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