In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a companion. Because my companion was considering pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had planned a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a large multi-story edifice on the UWS called International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the canteen, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and started talking to 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 scientific background and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an research lab at Columbia University – close to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I should apply for a role with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that night. The engineering student approached me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but right away told my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a city where opportunities abound – she declared: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for three years. A perk of the job was that I also received 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 am unaware of his full name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in so many ways. I didn't possess the courage or self-assurance to reach out at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Critically, that job in New York paved the way for a role in Europe where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I now have a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Someone You Didn't Know Has Ever Done for You?
From making your day to transforming your future, we would love to know chance encounters that have remained in your memory.
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