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During the late 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to Europe with a friend. Since my friend was interested in starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had arranged a two-week stay there on the way to London.

We got to the postgrad residence, a big multi-story edifice on the UWS called International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, found a table, and started talking to other diners.

Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at Columbia University. He asked me what I did for a living, and I told him that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.

He noted that there was an research lab at the university – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I consider applying for a role with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.

The next day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that night. The engineering student came up to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but right away explained to my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.

As is common in NYC – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she said: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.

I held that position for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a graduate degree in global studies.

I lost touch with him and I can't recall his full name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in so many ways. I didn't possess the confidence or nerve to reach out at an Ivy League university and request employment. Additionally, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.

Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university resulted in a job in Zurich where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.

Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?

Whether it's making your day to changing your life, we are interested in random meetings that have left a lasting impression.

We invite you to tell us if you are 18 or over, anonymously if you prefer. What you share are confidential, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.