During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to Europe with a travel partner. Since my friend was interested in starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had planned a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a large 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, found a table, and started talking to fellow residents.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did, and I shared that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at the university – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that night. The man from Iraq walked over to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but straight off told my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a place where opportunities abound – she responded: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his full name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I would never have had the confidence or nerve to contact anyone at an elite institution and request employment. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that job in New York led me to a job in Zurich where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
From cheering you up to transforming your future, we want to hear about unexpected interactions that have left a lasting impression.
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