During the late 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Because my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had arranged a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We reached the postgrad residence, a big multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, found a table, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I shared that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I ought to seek a position with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The man from Iraq approached me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but immediately explained to my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his full name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I lacked the confidence or self-assurance to approach someone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. And, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York resulted in a role in Europe where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Stranger Has Shown for You?
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