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In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Because my companion was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there en route to London.

We reached the postgrad residence, a large 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the dining hall, where we got some food, sat down, and began chatting with people eating there.

Beside me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He asked me what I my profession was, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.

He mentioned that there was an research lab at the institution – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I should apply for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.

A day later I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The man from Iraq approached me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but right away explained to my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.

As is common in NYC – a city where anything feels possible – she declared: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.

I held that position for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a graduate degree in global studies.

I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in numerous aspects. I lacked the confidence or self-assurance to reach out at an prestigious college and seek a position. And, I had always wanted to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.

Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a job in Zurich where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.

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

Whether it's brightening your mood to changing your life, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have stuck with you.

Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, anonymously if you wish. What you share are secure, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.