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During the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Since my companion was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had planned a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.

We got to the student accommodation, a large multi-story edifice on the UWS named International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, found a table, and began chatting with people eating there.

Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He inquired what I did for a living, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.

He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – close to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I ought to seek a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was heading off 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 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. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but immediately told my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.

Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where opportunities abound – she said: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.

I held that position for three years. A perk of the job was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a master’s of international affairs.

I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in so many ways. I would never have had the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and seek a position. Moreover, I had always wanted to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.

Critically, that role at the university paved the way for a role in Europe where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.

What is the Kindest Gesture a Someone You Didn't Know Has Once Performed for You?

From brightening your mood to changing your life, we would love to know random meetings that have left a lasting impression.

Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, without revealing your identity if you wish. Your responses are confidential, and are solely for the purpose of this feature.