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During the late 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to Europe with a companion. Because my travel mate was exploring starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had booked a 14-day stopover there en route to London.

We got to the graduate housing, a large 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and started talking to fellow residents.

Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I explained that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.

He noted that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – close to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I ought to seek a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.

The following day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The man from Iraq walked over to me and told me that he had organized a discussion 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 straight off told my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.

As is common in NYC – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.

I held that position for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a postgrad program in international relations.

We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his identity, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I lacked the confidence or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and request employment. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.

Critically, that gig at Columbia resulted in a job in Zurich where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.

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

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