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During the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a low-cost journey to Europe with a travel partner. Because my travel mate was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had booked a two-week stay there on the way to London.

We got to the student accommodation, a large 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, found a table, and started talking to people eating there.

Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did, and I told him that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.

He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the university – adjacent to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I ought to seek a position with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.

The next day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The Iraqi 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. Given that he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but straight off informed my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.

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

I worked there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a master’s of international affairs.

I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his full name, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in so many ways. I lacked the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. Moreover, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.

Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a role in Europe where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.

Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Unknown Person Has Shown for You?

Whether it's making your day to altering your path, we want to hear about random meetings that have remained in your memory.

Feel free to recount your experience if you are 18 or over, keeping your details private if you wish. Your responses are confidential, and are solely for the goal of sharing inspiring stories.