During the late 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a friend. Because my friend was interested in starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had booked a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Beside me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I told him that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – right next door to the engineering faculty, 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 soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that night. The Iraqi student approached me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but right away explained to my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she declared: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I got no-cost classes 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 full name, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I would never have had the bravery or nerve to contact anyone at an prestigious college and ask for a job. And, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university resulted in a job in Zurich where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Nicest Thing a Someone You Didn't Know Has Once Performed for You?
From making your day to transforming your future, we would love to know random meetings that have stuck with you.
Please share your story if you are an adult, keeping your details private if you prefer. What you share are secure, and are solely for the aim of this article.
