In the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Because my companion was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had booked a two-week stay there en route to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a big 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, found a table, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the university – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I should apply for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that evening. The engineering student walked over to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but right away informed my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she declared: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in numerous aspects. I lacked the confidence or self-belief to approach someone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Additionally, I had long dreamed to study abroad, 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 met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
What is the Nicest Thing a Stranger Has Shown for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to changing your life, we are interested in random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, anonymously if you prefer. Your responses are secure, and are intended for the aim of this article.
