During the late 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to Europe with a companion. Because my companion was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had planned a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the canteen, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Beside me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did, and I explained that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an research lab at the institution – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The man from Iraq walked over to me and let me know that he had organized a discussion 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 right away told my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a place where opportunities abound – she declared: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in multiple respects. I lacked the courage or nerve to contact anyone at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Moreover, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia led me to a job in Zurich where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Tell us about the Nicest Thing a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
From brightening your mood to transforming your future, we want to hear about chance encounters that have remained in your memory.
Please share your story if you are 18 or over, without revealing your identity if you wish. The stories you tell are protected, and are solely for the purpose of this feature.
