In the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a friend. Since my friend was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, sat down, and began chatting with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did for a living, and I shared that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – right next door to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I ought to seek a role with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next 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. Because he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately told my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a place where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his full name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in multiple respects. I lacked the confidence or self-belief to contact anyone at an elite institution and seek a position. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a job in Zurich where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Tell us about the Nicest Thing a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?
From making your day to altering your path, we would love to know unexpected interactions that have left a lasting impression.
Please share your story if you are 18 or over, without revealing your identity if you choose. The stories you tell are protected, and are solely for the goal of sharing inspiring stories.
