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In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Since my friend was interested in starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.

We reached the student accommodation, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the canteen, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and began chatting with other diners.

Beside me was an Iraqi man studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did, and I told him that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.

He noted that there was an research lab at the institution – right next door to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I consider applying for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.

The following day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The Iraqi student approached me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but right away explained to 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 opportunities abound – she said: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.

I held that position for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a graduate degree in global studies.

I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his identity, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in so many ways. I didn't possess the confidence or self-assurance to approach someone at an prestigious college and seek a position. And, I had always wanted to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.

What's more, that role at the university led me to a position in Switzerland where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.

Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?

From making your day to altering your path, we would love to know unexpected interactions that have stuck with you.

Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, keeping your details private if you wish. Your responses are secure, and are intended for the aim of this article.