In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Since my companion was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had arranged a 14-day stopover 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 got some food, found a table, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – right next door to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I ought to seek a position with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The engineering student walked over to me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but immediately told my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a place where anything feels possible – she said: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for three years. One of the benefits was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his identity, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I didn't possess the courage or self-belief to reach out at an prestigious college and request employment. Moreover, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York led me to a role in Europe where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Nicest Thing a Someone You Didn't Know Has Shown for You?
Whether it's brightening your mood to altering your path, we are interested in chance encounters that have remained in your memory.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, without revealing your identity if you wish. The stories you tell are secure, and are intended for the goal of sharing inspiring stories.
