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During the late 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Since my travel mate was considering enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had arranged a two-week stay there on the way to London.

We got to the student accommodation, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, sat down, and started talking to other diners.

Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I my profession was, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.

He noted that there was an research lab at the university – close to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I consider applying for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.

A day later I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The engineering student came up to me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but straight off informed my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.

Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where opportunities abound – she said: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.

I was employed there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a master’s of international affairs.

We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his name, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in multiple respects. I would never have had the confidence or self-assurance to approach someone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Moreover, 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 gig at Columbia led me to a position in Switzerland where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.

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