During the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Since my friend was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had planned a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a big multi-story edifice on the UWS called International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the canteen, where we got some food, sat down, and started talking to fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – close to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I ought to seek a job with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that night. The Iraqi student approached me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but immediately explained to my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she declared: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in multiple respects. I didn't possess the confidence or self-belief to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. Moreover, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia led me to a position in Switzerland where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Someone You Didn't Know Has Shown for You?
From cheering you up to altering your path, we would love to know unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, without revealing your identity if you prefer. The stories you tell are protected, and will only be used the purpose of this feature.
