In the late 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to Europe with a travel partner. Since my travel mate was considering pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had booked a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, sat down, and started talking to people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did, and I told him that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I should apply for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The engineering student came up to me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately informed my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a place where anything feels possible – she responded: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for three years. A perk of the job was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his identity, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I lacked the bravery or nerve to contact anyone at an elite institution and request employment. Moreover, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university resulted in a role in Europe where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Nicest Thing a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to altering your path, we want to hear about unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, keeping your details private if you wish. The stories you tell are secure, and are solely for the purpose of this feature.
