In the late 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Because my friend was considering starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had booked a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a big 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the canteen, where we got some food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I shared that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – right next door to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I consider applying for a job with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that night. The Iraqi student walked over to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately told my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where anything feels possible – she declared: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that 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 seek a position. And, I had always wanted to study abroad, 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 met my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Unknown Person Has Shown for You?
Whether it's brightening your mood to altering your path, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.
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