During the late 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to Europe with a friend. Since my companion was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the UWS called International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and began chatting with people eating there.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did, and I shared that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an research lab at Columbia University – close to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I ought to seek a position with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that night. The engineering student approached me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but straight off informed my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a place where anything feels possible – she said: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for three years. One of the benefits was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his identity, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in so many ways. I would never have had the confidence or nerve to reach out at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. And, I had always wanted to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university led me to a job in Zurich where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
What is the Nicest Thing a Someone You Didn't Know Has Shown for You?
Whether it's brightening your mood to transforming your future, we are interested in random meetings that have stuck with you.
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