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In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a friend. Because my companion was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had arranged a fortnight visit there on the way to London.

We got to the student accommodation, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the UWS called International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the canteen, where we got some food, found a table, and engaged in conversation with other diners.

Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I explained that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.

He pointed out that there was an research lab at Columbia University – right next door to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I ought to seek a position with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.

The following day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The man from Iraq walked over to me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but immediately explained to my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.

In typical New York fashion – a city where opportunities abound – she declared: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.

I was employed there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a master’s of international affairs.

I lost touch with him and I can't recall his identity, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in so many ways. I would never have had the confidence or self-assurance to approach someone at an prestigious college and seek a position. And, I had always wanted to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.

Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York led me to a position in Switzerland where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual 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?

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

Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, keeping your details private if you wish. Your responses are confidential, and are solely for the purpose of this feature.