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In the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to Europe with a friend. Since my travel mate was interested in starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had planned a 14-day stopover there en route to London.

We got to the student accommodation, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the canteen, where we grabbed food, found a table, and began chatting with people eating there.

Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did, and I told him that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.

He mentioned that there was an research lab at the university – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I ought to seek a job with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.

The following day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that night. The man from Iraq came up to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but right away told my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.

Reflecting the city's spirit – a place 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 was employed there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a graduate degree in global studies.

I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his full name, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I would never have had the confidence or self-belief to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and request employment. Additionally, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.

What's more, that gig at Columbia resulted in a position in Switzerland where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.

Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Someone You Didn't Know Has Shown for You?

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