During the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to Europe with a travel partner. Since my companion was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had planned a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a sizeable 10-storey building on the UWS known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, sat down, and began chatting with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did, and I explained that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the university – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I ought to seek a position with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that night. The man from Iraq walked over to me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but right away informed my host that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a place where anything feels possible – she responded: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his identity, but his selfless gesture changed my life in multiple respects. I lacked the bravery or self-belief to reach out at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. And, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university paved the way for a role in Europe where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to changing your life, we would love to know chance encounters that have left a lasting impression.
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