During the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Because my companion was exploring starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had planned a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we got some food, took a seat, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I explained that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I ought to seek a role with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that evening. The engineering student walked over to me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but straight off explained to my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she declared: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his full name, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in so many ways. I lacked the confidence or self-belief to reach out 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.
What's more, that gig at Columbia resulted in a role in Europe where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I now have four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Stranger Has Shown for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to transforming your future, we would love to know chance encounters that have left a lasting impression.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, keeping your details private if you wish. Your responses are confidential, and are intended for the aim of this article.
