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During the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to the European continent with a friend. Since my companion was considering enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had booked a two-week stay there en route to London.

We got to the postgrad residence, a big multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and began chatting with other diners.

Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did, and I shared that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.

He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the university – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I consider applying for a job with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was soon departing 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 engineering student approached me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but straight off informed my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.

As is common in NYC – a place where anything feels possible – she said: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.

I was employed there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a master’s of international affairs.

I never saw that student again and I can't recall his identity, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in multiple respects. I didn't possess the confidence or self-belief to approach someone at an elite institution and request employment. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.

Critically, that gig at Columbia resulted in a role in Europe where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.

What is the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?

From cheering you up to changing your life, we are interested in random meetings that have stuck with you.

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