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In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Because my travel mate was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had planned a 14-day stopover there en route to London.

We reached the graduate housing, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the UWS called International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and started talking to people eating there.

Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I told him that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.

He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I should apply for a role with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.

A day later I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The man from Iraq approached me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but right away informed my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.

In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she said: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.

I worked there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a master’s of international affairs.

I never saw that student again and I can't recall his identity, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I didn't possess the confidence or self-belief to reach out at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.

Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a role in Europe where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.

Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Someone You Didn't Know Has Ever Done for You?

From brightening your mood to changing your life, we would love to know random meetings that have remained in your memory.

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