During the late 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to Europe with a friend. Because my companion was exploring starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had planned a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a large ten-floor structure on the UWS known as International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we got some food, sat down, and started talking to people eating there.
Beside me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He inquired what I did, and I shared that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – right next door to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I ought to seek a position with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The Iraqi student came up to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but right away informed my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a city where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his full name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in multiple respects. I lacked the confidence or nerve to contact anyone at an elite institution and seek a position. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
What's more, that role at the university paved the way for a job in Zurich where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Someone You Didn't Know Has Ever Done for You?
From making your day to altering your path, we are interested in chance encounters that have left a lasting impression.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are 18 or over, keeping your details private if you wish. Your responses are secure, and are solely for the purpose of this feature.
