During the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Because my companion was interested in starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had arranged a two-week stay there en route to London.
We reached the postgrad residence, a big ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I my profession was, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at Columbia University – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I ought to seek a position with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that night. The Iraqi student approached me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but immediately informed my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a place where anything feels possible – she responded: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his full name, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in numerous aspects. I lacked the courage or nerve to contact anyone at an prestigious college and seek a position. Moreover, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Critically, that role at the university paved the way for a job in Zurich where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
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