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In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a low-cost journey to Europe with a friend. Since my friend was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had planned a fortnight visit there before heading to London.

We got to the postgrad residence, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and began chatting with people eating there.

Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He inquired what I did for a living, and I told him that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.

He pointed out that there was an research lab at the university – close to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.

The next day I toured the city, 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 attended the interview – but right away informed my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.

In typical New York fashion – a city where anything feels possible – she declared: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.

I worked there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a master’s of international affairs.

We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in so many ways. I would never have had the confidence or self-belief to contact anyone at an prestigious college and ask for a job. And, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.

What's more, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.

What is the Nicest Thing a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?

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