In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to Europe with a friend. Since my companion was considering enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had arranged a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the canteen, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man studying engineering at Columbia University. He asked me what I did for a living, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – adjacent to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I consider applying for a position with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that night. The Iraqi student approached me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but immediately told my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where anything feels possible – she responded: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for three years. A perk of the job was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his full name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the confidence or nerve to approach someone at an prestigious college and seek a position. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that role at the university resulted in a position in Switzerland where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?
Whether it's brightening your mood to transforming your future, we want to hear about random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
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