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In the late 1980s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my travel mate was interested in starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had arranged a two-week stay there on the way to London.

We reached the student accommodation, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and began chatting with other diners.

Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I my profession was, and I shared that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.

He noted that there was an research lab at the institution – close to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I should apply for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.

The following day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The Iraqi student approached me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but immediately told my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.

As is common in NYC – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she responded: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.

I held that position for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a master’s of international affairs.

I lost touch with him and I can't recall his identity, but his selfless gesture changed my life in multiple respects. I didn't possess the confidence or self-assurance to contact anyone at an prestigious college and ask for a job. And, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.

What's more, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I now have a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.

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