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During the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Since my friend was considering starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had booked a two-week stay there on the way to London.

We reached the student accommodation, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we got some food, found a table, and began chatting with people eating there.

Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did for a living, and I told him that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.

He noted that there was an research lab at the university – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I ought to seek a position with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.

The following day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that night. The engineering student came up to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but straight off told my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.

In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she responded: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.

I was employed there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a master’s of international affairs.

I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his name, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in multiple respects. I lacked the confidence or nerve to contact anyone at an prestigious college and seek a position. Additionally, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.

Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia led me to a job in Zurich where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.

Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?

Whether it's making your day to transforming your future, we are interested in chance encounters that have left a lasting impression.

We invite you to tell us if you are an adult, without revealing your identity if you choose. Your responses are secure, and are intended for the aim of this article.