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During the late 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Because my travel mate was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had arranged a fortnight visit there en route to London.

We got to the postgrad residence, a big multi-story edifice on the UWS called International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and started talking to people eating there.

Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I my profession was, and I explained that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.

He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – right next door to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I consider applying for a role with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.

The next day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The man from Iraq 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. Because he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but straight off told my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.

In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she said: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.

I held that position for three years. A perk of the job was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a master’s of international affairs.

We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I would never have had the confidence or self-belief to reach out at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Moreover, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.

Critically, that gig at Columbia led me to a position in Switzerland where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I now have a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.

Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?

From brightening your mood to altering your path, we would love to know random meetings that have left a lasting impression.

We invite you to tell us if you are 18 or over, without revealing your identity if you wish. What you share are secure, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.