In the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to the European continent with a friend. Because my friend was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had booked a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a big ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the dining hall, where we got some food, took a seat, and began chatting with people eating there.
Beside me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did for a living, and I explained that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the university – close to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I ought to seek a position with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that after dark. The Iraqi student came up to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately told my host that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she said: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I was granted no-cost classes 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 name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the confidence or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. And, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York paved the way for a job in Zurich where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
What is the Nicest Thing a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?
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