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During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a companion. Since my friend was considering enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had planned a two-week stay there on the way to London.

We arrived at the postgrad residence, a big 10-storey building on the Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the canteen, where we got some food, sat down, and started talking to other diners.

Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I my profession was, and I shared that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.

He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – close to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I should apply for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.

The next day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The man from Iraq came up to me and told 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 attended the interview – but straight off explained to my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.

Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she responded: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.

I held that position for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a master’s of international affairs.

I never saw that student again and I can't recall his full name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the confidence or self-assurance to approach someone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. And, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.

What's more, that role at the university paved the way for a role in Europe where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.

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