In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Since my travel mate was exploring starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had booked a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a large ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the canteen, where we grabbed food, sat down, and started talking to other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an research lab at the university – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I ought to seek a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that night. The engineering student approached me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but right away told my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she responded: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his identity, but his selfless gesture changed my life in multiple respects. I didn't possess the bravery or nerve to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and request employment. Moreover, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that gig at Columbia resulted in a role in Europe where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Nicest Thing a Unknown Person Has Shown for You?
From cheering you up to altering your path, we would love to know chance encounters that have remained in your memory.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are 18 or over, anonymously if you choose. Your responses are confidential, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.
