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During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Because my travel mate was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had planned a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.

We got to the student accommodation, a sizeable 10-storey building on the UWS named International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and started talking to fellow residents.

Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He asked me what I my profession was, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.

He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – close to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I should apply for a role with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.

The following day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that night. The engineering student walked over to 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 gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but straight off explained to my interviewer 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: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.

I worked there for three years. One of the benefits was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a postgrad program in international relations.

We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his identity, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in so many ways. I didn't possess the confidence or self-assurance to reach out at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Moreover, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.

Critically, that gig at Columbia resulted in a job in Zurich where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.

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

Whether it's making your day to transforming your future, we would love to know unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.

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