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In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Since my travel mate was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.

We got to the graduate housing, a big 10-storey building on the UWS called International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the canteen, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and started talking to other diners.

Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did for a living, and I explained that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.

He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – close to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I consider applying for a job with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.

A day later I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The Iraqi student came up to me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but immediately explained to my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.

Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she declared: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.

I was employed there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a graduate degree in global studies.

We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his identity, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the bravery or self-assurance to approach someone at an prestigious college and request employment. Moreover, I had always wanted to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.

What's more, that job in New York led me to a job in Zurich where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.

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

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