In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a friend. Because my friend was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had booked a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, sat down, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did, and I told him that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – close to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I consider applying for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The engineering student walked over to me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but straight off explained to my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I got no-cost classes 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 name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the confidence or self-belief to approach someone at an Ivy League university 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.
Critically, that role at the university led me to a job in Zurich where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
What is the Nicest Thing a Someone You Didn't Know Has Ever Done for You?
From brightening your mood to changing your life, we are interested in chance encounters that have left a lasting impression.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, anonymously if you choose. The stories you tell are secure, and are solely for the goal of sharing inspiring stories.
