During the late 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Because my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had planned a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a big multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we got some food, found a table, and started talking to fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I did, and I shared that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – right next door to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I ought to seek a role with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that night. The engineering student came up to me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but right away informed my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where opportunities abound – she declared: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his identity, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in numerous aspects. I lacked the bravery or self-assurance to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. And, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York led me to a position in Switzerland where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
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