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In the late 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a companion. Since my travel mate was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.

We arrived at the postgrad residence, a big 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, sat down, and began chatting with people eating there.

Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I explained that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.

He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – adjacent to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I consider applying for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.

The next day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The engineering student came up to me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but straight off explained to my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.

As is common in NYC – a place where everything seems achievable – she said: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.

I was employed there for three years. A perk of the job was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a postgrad program in international relations.

I lost touch with him and I can't recall his name, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the confidence or self-belief to approach someone at an elite institution and ask for a job. And, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.

Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university led me to a position in Switzerland where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.

Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?

Whether it's making your day to transforming your future, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have left a lasting impression.

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