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In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Because my companion was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had booked a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.

We arrived at the graduate housing, a big ten-floor structure on the UWS called International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and began chatting with fellow residents.

Beside me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He inquired what I did for a living, and I explained that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.

He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I ought to seek a role with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.

The following day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that evening. The engineering student walked over to me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but straight off informed my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.

Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where opportunities abound – she said: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.

I worked there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a postgrad program in international relations.

We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his full name, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the confidence or self-assurance to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. And, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.

Critically, that role at the university paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.

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