In the late 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Because my travel mate was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had booked a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side known as International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the canteen, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I my profession was, and I shared that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I ought to seek a role with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that after dark. The man from Iraq walked over to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but right away told my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a place where anything feels possible – she declared: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his full name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the bravery or self-belief to contact anyone at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Moreover, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
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 now have four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Nicest Thing a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?
Whether it's making your day to changing your life, we are interested in random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are 18 or over, anonymously if you wish. The stories you tell are confidential, and are solely for the purpose of this feature.
