During the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my travel mate was interested in starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had booked a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a big 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the canteen, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and began chatting with other diners.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I explained that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – close to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I should apply for a job with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that night. The man from Iraq approached me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but straight off informed my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where opportunities abound – she declared: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his full name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the courage or self-assurance to reach out at an prestigious college and request employment. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
What's more, that role at the university led me to a position in Switzerland where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
What is the Nicest Thing a Someone You Didn't Know Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to transforming your future, we are interested in random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
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