During the late 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Because my companion was interested in starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a big multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we got some food, took a seat, and began chatting with other diners.
Beside me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He inquired what I did, and I told him 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 – close to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I should apply for a role with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The man from Iraq approached 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 showed up for the discussion – but straight off told my host that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a place where anything feels possible – she said: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his identity, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in so many ways. I would never have had the bravery or nerve to reach out at an elite institution and request employment. Moreover, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York paved the way for a job in Zurich where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Tell us about the Nicest Thing a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to changing your life, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are 18 or over, without revealing your identity if you choose. The stories you tell are confidential, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.
