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During the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Because my travel mate was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had planned a two-week stay there before heading to London.

We arrived at the postgrad residence, a big 10-storey building on the UWS known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the canteen, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and began chatting with fellow residents.

Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did, and I shared that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.

He mentioned that there was an research lab at the university – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I consider applying for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.

A day later I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The Iraqi student came up to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but right away told my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.

Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she said: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.

I worked there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a postgrad program in international relations.

I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his full name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the confidence or self-belief to reach out at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.

What's more, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a role in Europe where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.

Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Someone You Didn't Know Has Ever Done for You?

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

We invite you to tell us if you are an adult, keeping your details private if you wish. The stories you tell are secure, and are solely for the purpose of this feature.