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During the late 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my travel mate was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had arranged a two-week stay there before heading to London.

We got to the student accommodation, a big 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, found a table, and began chatting with people eating there.

Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I told him that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.

He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I ought to seek a role with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.

The following day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that evening. The Iraqi student 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. Because he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but right away told my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.

As is common in NYC – a place where opportunities abound – she declared: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.

I worked there for three years. A perk of the job was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a postgrad program in international relations.

We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his full name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in numerous aspects. I lacked the confidence or self-belief to reach out at an Ivy League university and request employment. And, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.

Critically, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a job in Zurich where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.

Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?

Whether it's brightening your mood to altering your path, we want to hear about chance encounters that have left a lasting impression.

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