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In the late 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to Europe with a friend. Because my travel mate was exploring starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had planned a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.

We got to the graduate housing, a large ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the dining hall, where we got some food, sat down, and started talking to people eating there.

Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did, and I explained that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.

He noted that there was an research lab at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a role with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.

The next day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that night. The man from Iraq walked over to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but straight off told my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.

Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she declared: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.

I was employed there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a postgrad program in international relations.

I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his identity, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the bravery or self-belief to approach someone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.

Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a role in Europe where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.

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