During the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to the European continent with a companion. Because my travel mate was considering enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had planned a two-week stay there en route to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a large multi-story edifice on the UWS called International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, found a table, and started talking to other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I did, and I told him 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 research lab at Columbia University – close to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I consider applying for a job with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. 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 made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but right away told my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a place where opportunities abound – she declared: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his full name, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in multiple respects. I would never have had the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. Additionally, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that gig at Columbia led me to a job in Zurich where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Nicest Thing a Unknown Person Has Shown for You?
From brightening your mood to transforming your future, we would love to know unexpected interactions that have left a lasting impression.
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