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In the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Because my friend was considering pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had booked a two-week stay there en route to London.

We got to the graduate housing, a large multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, sat down, and began chatting with fellow residents.

Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I explained that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.

He noted 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 position with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.

The next day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that after dark. The engineering student walked over to me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but right away explained to my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.

As is common in NYC – a city where anything feels possible – she declared: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.

I was employed there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a postgrad program in international relations.

I lost touch with him and I can't recall his full name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in numerous aspects. I would never have had the courage or nerve to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and request employment. And, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.

Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a role in Europe where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.

Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?

Whether it's making your day to changing your life, we are interested in random meetings that have remained in your memory.

We invite you to tell us if you are of legal age, anonymously if you prefer. What you share are protected, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.