During the late 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Since my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had arranged a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a big ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, sat down, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Beside me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He inquired what I did for a living, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at the university – close to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I consider applying for a job with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The Iraqi student walked over to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but immediately informed my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a city where everything seems achievable – she declared: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in multiple respects. I would never have had the courage or nerve to contact anyone at an elite institution and request employment. Moreover, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Critically, that job in New York paved the way for a job in Zurich where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
What is the Nicest Thing a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
From making your day to altering your path, we would love to know unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.
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