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In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Because my companion was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had planned a fortnight visit there before heading to London.

We arrived at the graduate housing, a big ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we got some food, took a seat, and started talking to fellow residents.

Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I told him that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.

He pointed out that there was an research lab at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I should apply for a job with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.

The following day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The man from Iraq came up to me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but right away informed my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.

Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she declared: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.

I worked there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a postgrad program in international relations.

I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his identity, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in multiple respects. I would never have had the courage or nerve to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.

Critically, that gig at Columbia resulted in a position in Switzerland where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.

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

Whether it's cheering you up to altering your path, we would love to know chance encounters that have left a lasting impression.

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