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In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Because my companion was exploring starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had planned a 14-day stopover there en route to London.

We arrived at the student accommodation, a big 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the canteen, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and began chatting with other diners.

Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He inquired what I did for a living, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.

He mentioned that there was an research lab at the institution – adjacent to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I consider applying for a position with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.

A day later I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The man from Iraq came up to me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but right away explained to my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.

Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where everything seems achievable – she said: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.

I worked there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a postgrad program in international relations.

I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in numerous aspects. I would never have had the confidence or self-belief to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. And, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.

Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York paved the way for a job in Zurich where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.

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

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