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In the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Since my friend was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, 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. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we got some food, found a table, and began chatting with fellow residents.

Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.

He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.

A day later I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The man from Iraq approached me and told me that he had arranged an interview 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 prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.

As is common in NYC – a city where everything seems achievable – she said: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.

I was employed there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a graduate degree in global studies.

I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in so many ways. I would never have had the courage or self-assurance to approach someone at an elite institution and ask for a job. Moreover, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.

Critically, that job in New York led me to a position in Switzerland where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.

What is the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Shown for You?

Whether it's cheering you up to altering your path, we would love to know chance encounters that have remained in your memory.

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