During the late 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Because my companion was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had arranged a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a large multi-story edifice on the UWS named International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the canteen, where we picked up meals, sat down, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Beside me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did for a living, and I explained that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
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 position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The engineering student came up to me and told 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 went to the meeting – but immediately explained to my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where opportunities abound – she responded: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for three years. One of the benefits was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his identity, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in so many ways. I didn't possess the courage or self-belief to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and request employment. Moreover, I had always wanted to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that job in New York resulted in a job in Zurich where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Nicest Thing a Unknown Person Has Shown for You?
Whether it's making your day to changing your life, we would love to know random meetings that have stuck with you.
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