During the late 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Because my companion was considering enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had arranged a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a big ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we got some food, took a seat, and began chatting with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I my profession was, and I shared that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I ought to seek a position with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The engineering student walked over to me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but immediately told my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she responded: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his full name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in multiple respects. I didn't possess the confidence or nerve to approach someone at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Additionally, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that job in New York paved the way for a role in Europe where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Stranger Has Shown for You?
From cheering you up to altering your path, we want to hear about unexpected interactions that have left a lasting impression.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, without revealing your identity if you wish. What you share are confidential, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.
