During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a companion. Since my friend was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had booked a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a big 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the dining hall, where we got some food, took a seat, and began chatting with people eating there.
Beside me was an Iraqi man studying engineering at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the university – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I consider applying for a role with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The man from Iraq walked over to me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but immediately informed my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she said: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his full name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in so many ways. I would never have had the confidence or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and request employment. Moreover, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university resulted in a position in Switzerland where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Nicest Thing a Someone You Didn't Know Has Ever Done for You?
From brightening your mood to changing your life, we want to hear about chance encounters that have remained in your memory.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are 18 or over, keeping your details private if you wish. Your responses are confidential, and are intended for the aim of this article.
