In the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Because my friend was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had arranged a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and started talking to fellow residents.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at Columbia University. He asked me what I did, and I shared that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I should apply for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that evening. The Iraqi student came up to me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but immediately informed my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where anything feels possible – she responded: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his full name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in multiple respects. I would never have had the confidence or self-assurance to contact anyone at an elite institution and seek a position. Additionally, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that role at the university resulted in a job in Zurich where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
From cheering you up to altering your path, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have stuck with you.
We invite you to tell us if you are an adult, anonymously if you wish. The stories you tell are secure, and are solely for the purpose of this feature.
