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In the late 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a friend. Because my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had planned a fortnight visit there en route to London.

We got to the postgrad residence, a big multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the canteen, where we grabbed food, found a table, and began chatting with other diners.

Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I told him that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.

He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – right next door to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I ought to seek a position with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.

A day later I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that night. The engineering student came up to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but straight off informed my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.

Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where anything feels possible – she said: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” 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 lost touch with him and I am unaware of his identity, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in multiple respects. I didn't possess the courage or self-assurance to reach out at an Ivy League university and seek a position. And, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.

What's more, that role at the university resulted in a position in Switzerland where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.

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