In the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Because my friend was considering pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a large 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the canteen, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and started talking to people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did, and I shared that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – right next door to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I ought to seek a position with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that night. The engineering student walked over to 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 went to the meeting – but straight off told my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she declared: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his full name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in numerous aspects. I would never have had the confidence or self-belief to reach out at an prestigious college and seek a position. And, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Critically, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a job in Zurich where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
What is the Nicest Thing a Someone You Didn't Know Has Shown for You?
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