During the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a low-cost journey to Europe with a travel partner. Since my companion was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had planned a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a sizeable 10-storey building on the UWS known as International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the canteen, where we grabbed food, found a table, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Beside me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did, and I told him that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the university – close to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I ought to seek a job with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that after dark. The engineering student came up to me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but right away told my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a place where everything seems achievable – she said: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his identity, but his selfless gesture changed my life in numerous aspects. I lacked the confidence or self-belief to approach someone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Critically, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a role in Europe where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
From making your day to altering your path, we want to hear about chance encounters that have stuck with you.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, keeping your details private if you choose. What you share are confidential, and are solely for the aim of this article.
