In the late 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to the European continent with a companion. Since my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had planned a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and started talking to other diners.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I my profession was, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an research lab at the university – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that night. The man from Iraq came up to me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but straight off told my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she declared: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for three years. One of the benefits was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his full name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in so many ways. I lacked the confidence or self-assurance to reach out at an prestigious college and request employment. Moreover, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a role in Europe where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Nicest Thing a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
From cheering you up to changing your life, we are interested in random meetings that have stuck with you.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are 18 or over, keeping your details private if you prefer. Your responses are confidential, and will only be used the purpose of this feature.
