In the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my travel mate was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had booked a two-week stay there en route to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the UWS called International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, found a table, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He inquired 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 pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the university – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I consider applying for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that night. The man from Iraq walked over to me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but right away told my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a city where opportunities abound – she said: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his full name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in multiple respects. I didn't possess the courage or nerve to reach out at an Ivy League university and request employment. And, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York resulted in a job in Zurich where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Someone You Didn't Know Has Once Performed for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to changing your life, we would love to know unexpected interactions that have stuck with you.
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