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In the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to Europe with a companion. Since my companion was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had arranged a two-week stay there before heading to London.

We got to the postgrad residence, a large ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the dining hall, where we got some food, found a table, and started talking to fellow residents.

Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He inquired what I did for a living, and I explained that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.

He mentioned that there was an research lab at Columbia University – close to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I should apply for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.

A day later I ventured out, returning to the canteen that evening. The man from Iraq came up to me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but right away informed my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.

Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she said: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.

I worked there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a master’s of international affairs.

I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his full name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in so many ways. I would never have had the confidence or nerve to reach out at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.

What's more, that gig at Columbia resulted in a position in Switzerland where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.

Tell us about the Nicest Thing a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?

From making your day to altering your path, we want to hear about random meetings that have left a lasting impression.

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