During the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a companion. Since my friend was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had arranged a two-week stay there en route to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a large multi-story edifice on the UWS known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, found a table, and began chatting with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I told him that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – right next door to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I ought to seek a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The Iraqi student walked over to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but straight off explained to 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 responded: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for three years. A perk of the job was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in so many ways. I didn't possess the courage or self-assurance to approach someone at an elite institution and seek a position. And, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
Critically, that role at the university led me to a job in Zurich where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
What is the Nicest Thing a Stranger Has Shown for You?
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