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In the late 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Because my friend was considering enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had booked a two-week stay there before heading to London.

We got to the student accommodation, a big multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and started talking to people eating there.

Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at Columbia University. He asked me what I my profession was, and I explained that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.

He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was about to fly 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 after dark. The Iraqi student walked over to me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but straight off informed my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.

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

I worked there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a master’s of international affairs.

I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his identity, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in multiple respects. I didn't possess the bravery or self-belief to reach out at an prestigious college and request employment. And, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.

Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York led me to a position in Switzerland where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.

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

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