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During the late 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Since my friend was considering pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.

We got to the graduate housing, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the canteen, where we grabbed food, sat down, and started talking to other diners.

Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I told him that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.

He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I ought to seek a position with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.

A day later I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The Iraqi student approached me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but straight off informed my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.

Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.

I worked there for three years. One of the benefits was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a graduate degree in global studies.

We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his identity, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in multiple respects. I didn't possess the courage or nerve to approach someone at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.

Critically, that job in New York resulted in a role in Europe where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.

Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Someone You Didn't Know Has Shown for You?

From brightening your mood to transforming your future, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have left a lasting impression.

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