During the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Since my travel mate was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had planned a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we got some food, sat down, and started talking to other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I my profession was, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at Columbia University – close to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I should apply for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, returning to the canteen that night. The engineering student walked over to me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but right away informed my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she said: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his identity, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I didn't possess the confidence or self-belief to approach someone at an prestigious college and request employment. Additionally, I had always wanted to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that job in New York led me to a position in Switzerland where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Someone You Didn't Know Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's brightening your mood to changing your life, we would love to know random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
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