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During the late 1980s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a companion. Since my travel mate was considering starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had planned a two-week stay there before heading to London.

We reached the graduate housing, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the UWS called International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, sat down, and began chatting with fellow residents.

Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did, and I shared that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.

He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the university – close to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I should apply for a job with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.

The following day I ventured out, 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 leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but right away informed my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.

Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she said: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.

I held that position for three years. An advantage of the role was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a master’s of international affairs.

I lost touch with him and I can't recall his identity, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I didn't possess the courage or nerve to reach out at an prestigious college and seek a position. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.

What's more, that gig at Columbia led me to a role in Europe where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.

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