In the late 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to the European continent with a friend. Because my friend was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had booked a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a big 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the dining hall, where we got some food, found a table, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I my profession was, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I should apply for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The engineering student walked over to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but immediately explained to my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she responded: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his identity, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in multiple respects. I would never have had the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Critically, that job in New York resulted in a role in Europe where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Nicest Thing a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's brightening your mood to altering your path, we would love to know chance encounters that have remained in your memory.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, anonymously if you wish. The stories you tell are confidential, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.
