In the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Because my friend was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had arranged a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the UWS known as International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the canteen, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. 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 conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I ought to seek a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that night. The engineering student approached me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but straight off informed my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a place where opportunities abound – she said: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for three years. One of the benefits was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his full name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in multiple respects. I lacked the confidence or self-belief to contact anyone at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university paved the way for a role in Europe where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share 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.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Stranger Has Shown for You?
From making your day to changing your life, we are interested in random meetings that have remained in your memory.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, anonymously if you wish. The stories you tell are confidential, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.
