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During the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to the European continent with a companion. Because my friend was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had planned a fortnight visit there on the way to London.

We reached the student accommodation, a large ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, sat down, and started talking to fellow residents.

Beside me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did for a living, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.

He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I ought to seek a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.

A day later I ventured out, returning to the canteen that after dark. The man from Iraq approached me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately informed my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.

Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.

I held that position for three years. A perk of the job was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a postgrad program in international relations.

I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his full name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in multiple respects. I didn't possess the bravery or nerve to contact anyone at an elite institution and ask for a job. And, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.

What's more, that role at the university resulted in a role in Europe where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.

Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Someone You Didn't Know Has Once Performed for You?

From brightening your mood to altering your path, we would love to know unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.

Feel free to recount your experience if you are 18 or over, anonymously if you prefer. The stories you tell are secure, and will only be used the aim of this article.