During the late 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a companion. Because my travel mate was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had planned a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a large ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we got some food, found a table, and began chatting with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I ought to seek a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that night. The man from Iraq walked over to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but right away informed my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where opportunities abound – she responded: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for three years. A perk of the job was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his full name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in numerous aspects. I lacked the bravery or nerve to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and request employment. Moreover, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that job in New York led me to a role in Europe where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Someone You Didn't Know Has Shown for You?
From brightening your mood to changing your life, we would love to know random meetings that have stuck with you.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are 18 or over, anonymously if you choose. The stories you tell are protected, and are solely for the purpose of this feature.
