In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Since my companion was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had booked a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Upper West Side named International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the canteen, where we grabbed food, found a table, and started talking to people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did, and I shared that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I should apply for a role with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The engineering student walked over to me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but right away explained to my host that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she said: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his identity, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in so many ways. I didn't possess the bravery or self-assurance to contact anyone at an elite institution and seek a position. Additionally, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York paved the way for a role in Europe where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Someone You Didn't Know Has Shown for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to altering your path, we want to hear about random meetings that have remained in your memory.
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