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During 2006, I made a trip to Canberra for an interview at a medical college. My plan was to arrange a place to stay after getting there, but once I got there, a major event was in town and every single budget hostels and budget accommodation were completely sold out.

Hailing from Singapore, I considered the possibility of spend the night at the terminal – only to discover the local airport, not like the one back home, closes all night. With no idea how to proceed and growing worried, I boarded a city-bound bus and began walking near a gaming venue, reasoning it was a place to spend those hours somewhere operating through the night. Admittedly, this plan in the ideal condition for acing the admissions interview the next morning, but as a cash-strapped student, I couldn’t afford.

Our society requires more folks like that woman.

It seems I seemed out of place because a young woman saw me wandering around the city center and asked if everything was alright. I shared my predicament and immediately she suggested I could sleep on the floor of her dormitory at the local university – which was perfect, considering that was where my interview was the following day. She went further by offering a meal: one filled rolls she had from her evening job. This gave me warm shower facilities and somewhere safe and secure for the evening.

In retrospect, it’s clear to me the enormous leap of faith she accepted as a young woman inviting a man who was a complete stranger stay in her room. In those days I existed within a bubble of male privilege and was oblivious to such safety concerns. As a dad now, I am astonished she offered that help – yet incredibly thankful.

Ultimately, I did not go to ANU, and I never saw the student afterwards, but her act remains etched in my mind that incredible gesture of generosity. My sincere desire is that karma has rewarded her generosity abundantly. The world needs more individuals who show such kindness.