In the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a companion. Since my travel mate was exploring starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had planned a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a large 10-storey building on the Upper West Side called 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 individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I did, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an research lab at the institution – close to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I consider applying for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that night. The Iraqi student came up to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but straight off told my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she declared: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for three years. One of the benefits was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his full name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in multiple respects. I would never have had the bravery or nerve to approach someone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. And, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
Critically, that role at the university paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person 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 Shown for You?
Whether it's making your day to changing your life, we want to hear about random meetings that have stuck with you.
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