In the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Since my friend was considering pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had planned a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the dining hall, where we got some food, took a seat, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did, and I told him that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – right next door to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I ought to seek a job with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that evening. The man from Iraq came up to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but immediately informed my host that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she responded: “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. A perk of the job was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his identity, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in multiple respects. I lacked the courage or self-assurance to approach someone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Additionally, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, 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 wonderful partner, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Unknown Person Has Shown for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to transforming your future, we are interested in random meetings that have remained in your memory.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, anonymously if you choose. The stories you tell are protected, and are intended for the aim of this article.
