During the late 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my travel mate was considering pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had booked a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a large multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, sat down, and started talking to fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man 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 degree in science and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – right next door to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I consider applying for a position with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that evening. 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. Since he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but straight off informed my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a city where anything feels possible – she declared: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his name, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in so many ways. I didn't possess the confidence or nerve to approach someone at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
What's more, that gig at Columbia led me to a position in Switzerland where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's making your day to changing your life, we are interested in chance encounters that have stuck with you.
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