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During the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a friend. Since my companion was exploring starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had booked a fortnight visit there en route to London.

We got to the student accommodation, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with other diners.

Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.

He noted 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 recommended that I should apply for a job with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.

A day later I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The man from Iraq came up to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but right away told my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.

As is common in NYC – a city where anything feels possible – she responded: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.

I was employed there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a graduate degree in global studies.

I never saw that student again and I can't recall his identity, but his selfless gesture changed my life in multiple respects. I would never have had the courage or self-belief to approach someone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. And, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.

Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a role in Europe where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.

Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?

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