In the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Because my friend was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had planned a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a big multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the canteen, where we got some food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Beside me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He wanted to know 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 conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I consider applying for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that after dark. The engineering student walked over to me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but straight off told my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she said: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his identity, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in numerous aspects. I lacked the courage or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York resulted in a position in Switzerland where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Nicest Thing a Stranger Has Shown for You?
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