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In the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Because my companion was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had planned a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.

We arrived at the graduate housing, a big multi-story edifice on the UWS known as International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, found a table, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.

Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He asked me what I did, and I explained that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.

He noted that there was an research lab at the university – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I should apply for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.

The next day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that after dark. The Iraqi student came up to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but right away explained to my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.

As is common in NYC – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she said: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.

I was employed there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a postgrad program in international relations.

I lost touch with him and I can't recall his full name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in multiple respects. I didn't possess the courage or self-assurance to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Additionally, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.

Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.

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

Whether it's brightening your mood to transforming your future, we are interested in chance encounters that have remained in your memory.

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