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In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a friend. Since my travel mate was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had arranged a two-week stay there en route to London.

We arrived at the postgrad residence, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the dining hall, where we got some food, found a table, and started talking to other diners.

Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.

He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – close to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I should apply for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.

The following day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that evening. The man from Iraq approached me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but immediately informed my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.

Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where anything feels possible – she said: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.

I held that position for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a master’s of international affairs.

I never saw that student again and I can't recall his name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in multiple respects. I would never have had the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Moreover, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.

Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia led me to a job in Zurich where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.

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