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In the late 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Because my companion was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.

We got to the graduate housing, a large multi-story edifice on the UWS named International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.

Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did, and I told him that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.

He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I should apply for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.

The next day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that evening. The engineering student came up to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but immediately informed my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.

In typical New York fashion – a place where opportunities abound – she said: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.

I worked there for three years. One of the benefits was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a master’s of international affairs.

I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in multiple respects. I would never have had the confidence or nerve to contact anyone at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.

Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia resulted in a role in Europe where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.

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

Whether it's brightening your mood to changing your life, we want to hear about chance encounters that have remained in your memory.

Feel free to recount your experience if you are 18 or over, anonymously if you wish. The stories you tell are confidential, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.