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During the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a companion. Because my friend was considering pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had planned a two-week stay there on the way to London.

We arrived at the postgrad residence, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the UWS called International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the dining hall, where we got some food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.

Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did for a living, and I shared that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.

He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I ought to seek a role with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.

The next day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that night. The man from Iraq approached me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but right away told my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.

Reflecting the city's spirit – a place 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 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a master’s of international affairs.

We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the confidence or nerve to contact anyone at an prestigious college and request employment. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.

Critically, that role at the university led me to a position in Switzerland where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.

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