In the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to Europe with a friend. Since my companion was considering pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had planned a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a sizeable 10-storey building 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, took a seat, and started talking to people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I explained 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 electron microscope unit at the university – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I should apply for a role with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The Iraqi student walked over to me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but right away told my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a city where anything feels possible – she said: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his identity, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in multiple respects. I would never have had the confidence or self-belief to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. And, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
What's more, that job in New York resulted in a position in Switzerland where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?
From making your day to transforming your future, we would love to know chance encounters 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 aim of this article.
