During the late 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Because my friend was considering pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had planned a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a big 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and began chatting with people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He inquired what I did, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an research lab at Columbia University – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I ought to seek a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that night. The Iraqi student came up to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but straight off informed my interviewer 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: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in multiple respects. I didn't possess the confidence or self-belief to approach someone at an elite institution and ask for a job. And, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, 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 forever grateful.
What is the Nicest Thing a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
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