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During the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Since my travel mate was exploring starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had planned a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.

We arrived at the graduate housing, a large 10-storey building on the Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the canteen, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and started talking to other diners.

Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man studying engineering at Columbia University. He inquired what I did for a living, and I shared that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.

He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – right next door to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I ought to seek a role with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.

The next day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that night. The engineering student walked over to 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 gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but immediately explained to my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.

As is common in NYC – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she said: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.

I worked there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a master’s of international affairs.

We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his full name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I would never have had the confidence or self-assurance to reach out at an prestigious college and seek a position. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.

Critically, that job in New York led me to a position in Switzerland where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.

Tell us about the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Shown for You?

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

Feel free to recount your experience if you are 18 or over, without revealing your identity if you wish. The stories you tell are confidential, and are intended for the aim of this article.