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In the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my companion was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.

We got to the student accommodation, a big 10-storey building on the Upper West Side named International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, found a table, and began chatting with other diners.

Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I my profession was, and I shared that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.

He mentioned that there was an research lab at Columbia University – close to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I ought to seek a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.

The next day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that night. The man from Iraq walked over to me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately told my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.

As is common in NYC – a place where opportunities abound – she said: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.

I worked there for three years. One of the benefits was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a postgrad program in international relations.

I lost touch with him and I can't recall his full name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in so many ways. I lacked the bravery or nerve to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. And, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.

What's more, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a role in Europe where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.

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