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During the late 1980s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Because my companion was considering enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had booked a two-week stay there on the way to London.

We got to the graduate housing, a big multi-story edifice on the UWS named International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the canteen, where we got some food, found a table, and began chatting with fellow residents.

Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I shared that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.

He pointed out that there was an research lab at the institution – close to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I consider applying for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.

The next day I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The Iraqi student walked over to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately told my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.

As is common in NYC – a city where anything feels possible – she declared: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.

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

I never saw that student again and I can't recall his name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I lacked the bravery or self-assurance to contact anyone at an elite institution and seek a position. Additionally, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.

What's more, that job in New York paved the way for a job in Zurich where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.

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