During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Because my companion was exploring starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had arranged a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a large ten-floor structure on the UWS called International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, sat down, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Beside me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I my profession was, and I shared that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I consider applying for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The man from Iraq approached me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but straight off informed my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where opportunities abound – she declared: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for three years. One of the benefits was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his identity, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in multiple respects. I lacked the courage or self-belief to approach someone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Additionally, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Tell us about the Nicest Thing a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
Whether it's making your day to altering your path, we are interested in random meetings that have stuck with you.
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