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In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Since my travel mate was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.

We arrived at the student accommodation, a large multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we got some food, took a seat, and started talking to other diners.

Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did, and I explained that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.

He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – close to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I consider applying for a job with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.

A day later I ventured out, returning to the canteen that night. The Iraqi student came up to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but straight off told my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.

Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where anything feels possible – she said: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.

I held that position for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I was granted no-cost classes 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 name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in numerous aspects. I lacked the confidence or self-belief to approach someone at an prestigious college and request employment. And, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.

What's more, that job in New York led me to a job in Zurich where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.

Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Someone You Didn't Know Has Shown for You?

From brightening your mood to transforming your future, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have left a lasting impression.

Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, without revealing your identity if you prefer. What you share are confidential, and will only be used the purpose of this feature.