In the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a friend. Since my companion was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had booked a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a large 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the canteen, where we got some food, found a table, and began chatting with other diners.
Sitting next to 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 told him that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at Columbia University – close to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I ought to seek a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that night. The Iraqi student approached me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately informed my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a city where opportunities abound – she responded: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in so many ways. I would never have had the bravery or self-assurance to approach someone at an Ivy League university and request employment. Moreover, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university paved the way for a job in Zurich where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Nicest Thing a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's brightening your mood to changing your life, we would love to know unexpected interactions that have stuck with you.
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