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In the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my friend was considering starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had arranged a fortnight visit there on the way to London.

We arrived at the student accommodation, a large 10-storey building on the Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the canteen, where we picked up meals, sat down, and started talking to other diners.

Beside me was an Iraqi man studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did, and I explained that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.

He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I should apply for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.

The following day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that night. The Iraqi student came up to 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 made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but straight off explained to my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.

Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where opportunities abound – she responded: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.

I was employed there for three years. One of the benefits was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a graduate degree in global studies.

I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his full name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in numerous aspects. I lacked the confidence or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.

Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York paved the way for a job in Zurich where I got to know my wonderful partner, 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 eternally thankful.

Tell us about the Kindest Gesture a Someone You Didn't Know Has Shown for You?

From brightening your mood to changing your life, we would love to know chance encounters that have left a lasting impression.

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