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During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Since my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had planned a two-week stay there on the way to London.

We got to the postgrad residence, a big multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the canteen, where we grabbed food, sat down, and started talking to other diners.

Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I told him that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.

He pointed out that there was an research lab at the institution – right next door to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I ought to seek a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.

The following day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The man from Iraq walked over to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but immediately explained to my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.

Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where opportunities abound – she responded: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.

I held that position for three years. One of the benefits was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a graduate degree in global studies.

I never saw that student again and I can't recall his name, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in multiple respects. I didn't possess the bravery or self-belief to approach someone at an Ivy League university and request employment. Additionally, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.

Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York paved the way for a job in Zurich where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.

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