In the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to Europe with a friend. Because my travel mate was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had booked a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a big 10-storey building on the Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, found a table, and started talking to other diners.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He asked me what I did, and I shared that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – adjacent to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I consider applying for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The man from Iraq walked over to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but right away told my host that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she responded: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for three years. One of the benefits was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his full name, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in numerous aspects. I lacked the bravery or nerve to approach someone at an elite institution and ask for a job. Additionally, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
Critically, that job in New York resulted in a job in Zurich where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Someone You Didn't Know Has Ever Done for You?
From making your day to changing your life, we want to hear about random meetings that have remained in your memory.
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