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During the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Since my travel mate was considering starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had planned a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.

We arrived at the student accommodation, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we got some food, took a seat, and started talking to fellow residents.

Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did, and I told him that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.

He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I consider applying for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.

A day later I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The engineering student approached me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but straight off informed my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.

As is common in NYC – a city where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.

I held that position for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a postgrad program in international relations.

I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his full name, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in multiple respects. I lacked the confidence or self-assurance to contact anyone at an prestigious college and ask for a job. And, I had always wanted to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.

Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York resulted in a position in Switzerland where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.

Tell us about the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Shown for You?

From cheering you up to transforming your future, we would love to know random meetings that have left a lasting impression.

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