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During the late 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Because my companion was interested in starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had booked a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.

We got to the graduate housing, a big multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the canteen, where we grabbed food, sat down, and began chatting with other diners.

Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I my profession was, and I explained that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.

He mentioned that there was an research lab at the institution – right next door to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I should apply for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.

The following day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that night. The engineering student walked over to me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but straight off informed my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.

Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she said: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.

I worked there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a graduate degree in global studies.

We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his name, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I would never have had the courage or self-assurance to reach out at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.

What's more, that job in New York resulted in a role in Europe where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.

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