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In the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to the European continent with a companion. Because my travel mate was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had planned a fortnight visit there en route to London.

We arrived at the graduate housing, a large 10-storey building 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 fellow residents.

Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I told him that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.

He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the university – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I consider applying for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.

The next day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that after dark. The man from Iraq came up to me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately told my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.

Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.

I held that position for three years. One of the benefits was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a postgrad program in international relations.

I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in numerous aspects. I would never have had the bravery or nerve to approach someone at an elite institution and ask for a job. And, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.

What's more, that role at the university resulted in a position in Switzerland where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.

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

Whether it's brightening your mood to transforming your future, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have stuck with you.

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