During the late 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Since my companion was exploring starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had planned a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a big ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and started talking to fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He inquired what I did, and I told him that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at Columbia University – close to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I should apply for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The man from Iraq walked over to me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but immediately told my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where anything feels possible – she responded: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I was granted free tuition 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 full name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in so many ways. I lacked the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an prestigious college and ask for a job. And, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that gig at Columbia led me to a job in Zurich where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Unknown Person Has Shown for You?
From making your day to transforming your future, we would love to know chance encounters that have remained in your memory.
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