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During the late 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a companion. Because my travel mate was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.

We arrived at the postgrad residence, a large ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, sat down, and engaged in conversation with other diners.

Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did, and I told him that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.

He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – close to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I consider applying for a role with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.

A day later I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The man from Iraq walked over to me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but immediately told 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 anything feels possible – she said: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.

I was employed there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a master’s of international affairs.

I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his full name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in multiple respects. I didn't possess the courage or nerve to approach someone at an prestigious college and request employment. And, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.

What's more, that job in New York paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.

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