During the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a companion. Since my friend was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had booked a two-week stay there en route to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a big multi-story edifice on the UWS named International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the canteen, where we got some food, took a seat, and started talking to people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did, and I explained that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I consider applying for a role with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The man from Iraq came up to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but straight off told my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a city where opportunities abound – she responded: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his identity, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in multiple respects. I didn't possess the confidence or nerve to reach out at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that role at the university resulted in a role in Europe where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Nicest Thing a Unknown Person Has Shown for You?
Whether it's brightening your mood to changing your life, we would love to know random meetings that have remained in your memory.
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