During the late 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Because my friend was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had booked a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the UWS known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I my profession was, and I told him that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – close to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I ought to seek a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The engineering student approached me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but immediately explained to my host that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where anything feels possible – she said: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for three years. A perk of the job was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in multiple respects. I didn't possess the courage or self-assurance to contact anyone at an prestigious college and seek a position. Moreover, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia led me to a job in Zurich where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Stranger Has Shown for You?
Whether it's making your day to changing your life, we would love to know chance encounters that have left a lasting impression.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, without revealing your identity if you choose. The stories you tell are secure, and are intended for the aim of this article.
