In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my companion was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had booked a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, sat down, and began chatting with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at Columbia University. He asked me what I did, and I explained that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I consider applying for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that night. The man from Iraq came up to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but straight off informed my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a city where opportunities abound – she said: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I was granted free tuition 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 full name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I didn't possess the confidence or self-belief to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that role at the university resulted in a position in Switzerland where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?
From brightening your mood to altering your path, we want to hear about random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, keeping your details private if you prefer. What you share are confidential, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.
