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During the late 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a companion. Since my travel mate was considering starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had planned a two-week stay there en route to London.

We got to the graduate housing, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the canteen, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.

Beside me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.

He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I should apply for a position with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.

The next day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The engineering student approached me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately told my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.

As is common in NYC – a place where everything seems achievable – she said: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.

I held that position for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a master’s of international affairs.

I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the courage or self-assurance to approach someone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. And, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.

Critically, that job in New York resulted in a job in Zurich where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.

What is the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?

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