During the late 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Because my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had booked a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, found a table, 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 wanted to know what I did for a living, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at Columbia University – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I ought to seek a role with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that night. The man from Iraq approached 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 attended the interview – but straight off informed my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she said: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his identity, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I would never have had the confidence or nerve to approach someone at an prestigious college and request employment. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
What's more, that role at the university resulted in 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 Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
From brightening your mood to transforming your future, we want to hear about random meetings that have stuck with you.
Please share your story if you are 18 or over, keeping your details private if you choose. The stories you tell are confidential, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.
