During the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Because my friend was interested in starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had booked a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a big multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, found a table, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did for a living, and I told him that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – close to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I should apply for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that evening. The engineering student came up to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but right away told my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she declared: “We'll handle it. 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 was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in so many ways. I lacked the courage or nerve to approach someone at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
What's more, that gig at Columbia led me to a position in Switzerland where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Nicest Thing a Stranger Has Shown for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to changing your life, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have left a lasting impression.
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