In the late 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to Europe with a companion. Since my friend was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had planned a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a large multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, found a table, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I did, and I shared that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an research lab at Columbia University – right next door to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I consider applying for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The man from Iraq came up to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but straight off informed my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his identity, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in multiple respects. I lacked the bravery or nerve to reach out at an Ivy League university and request employment. Additionally, I had always wanted to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
Critically, that role at the university paved the way for a job in Zurich where I got to know my beautiful French husband, 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 forever grateful.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Unknown Person Has Shown for You?
From making your day to altering your path, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have left a lasting impression.
We invite you to tell us if you are an adult, without revealing your identity if you choose. The stories you tell are confidential, and are intended for the goal of sharing inspiring stories.
