During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a companion. Because my companion was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had booked a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We reached the postgrad residence, a large ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the canteen, where we got some food, took a seat, and started talking to people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did, and I shared that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the university – close to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I ought to seek a job with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that night. The Iraqi student came up to me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately explained to my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in so many ways. I didn't possess the confidence or nerve to approach someone at an prestigious college and request employment. Moreover, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Tell us about the Nicest Thing a Unknown Person Has Shown for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to altering your path, we would love to know chance encounters that have remained in your memory.
We invite you to tell us if you are an adult, without revealing your identity if you wish. What you share are confidential, and are intended for the goal of sharing inspiring stories.
