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In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Because my travel mate was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had planned a fortnight visit there en route to London.

We got to the graduate housing, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the dining hall, where we got some food, found a table, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.

Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did, and I explained that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.

He mentioned that there was an research lab at the university – right next door to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I ought to seek a job with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.

The following day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that night. 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. Because he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – 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 opportunities abound – she responded: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.

I held that position for three years. An advantage of the role was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a graduate degree in global studies.

I never saw that student again and I can't recall his full name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in so many ways. I lacked the courage or self-belief to reach out at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Moreover, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.

Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia led me to a role in Europe where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.

Tell us about the Most Generous Act a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?

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

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