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During the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to Europe with a travel partner. Because my friend was exploring starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had booked a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.

We got to the graduate housing, a large 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the canteen, where we grabbed food, sat down, and started talking to fellow residents.

Beside 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 science degree and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.

He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – adjacent to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I should apply for a job with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.

The next day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The engineering student approached 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 taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but immediately explained to my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.

As is common in NYC – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.

I worked there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a postgrad program in international relations.

I lost touch with him and I can't recall his name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in multiple respects. I lacked the courage or self-assurance to approach someone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. And, I had always wanted to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.

Critically, that role at the university resulted in a position in Switzerland where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.

Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?

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