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In the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Because my travel mate was considering enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had planned a fortnight visit there on the way to London.

We arrived at the postgrad residence, a sizeable 10-storey building on the UWS known as International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and began chatting with people eating there.

Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He inquired what I did for a living, and I shared that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.

He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – right next door to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I ought to seek a role with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have 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 organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but straight off informed my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.

In typical New York fashion – a city where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.

I was employed there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a graduate degree in global studies.

I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his full name, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I would never have had the confidence or self-belief to contact anyone at an elite institution and ask for a job. And, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.

What's more, that role at the university led me to a job in Zurich where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.

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