During the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Since my travel mate was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had planned a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the dining hall, where we got some food, sat down, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did, and I shared that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at the university – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I consider applying for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that night. The man from Iraq came up 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 gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but right away informed 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 said: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for three years. A perk of the job was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his identity, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in multiple respects. I lacked the courage or self-belief to reach out at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Critically, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Nicest Thing a Stranger Has Shown for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to changing your life, we would love to know chance encounters that have stuck with you.
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