During the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to Europe with a companion. Since my friend was exploring starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had planned a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a big 10-storey building on the UWS named International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we got some food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did for a living, and I shared that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a role with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that night. The man from Iraq approached me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but immediately explained to my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she declared: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his full name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I didn't possess the confidence or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and seek a position. Moreover, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Critically, that role at the university led me to a job in Zurich where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
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