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In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Since my travel mate was considering starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had booked a fortnight visit there on the way to London.

We got to the postgrad residence, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the UWS known as International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, found a table, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.

Beside me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did for a living, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.

He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – close to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I ought to seek a position with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.

The following day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that night. The engineering student came up to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but straight off told my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.

As is common in NYC – a place where everything seems achievable – she said: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.

I was employed there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a master’s of international affairs.

I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in so many ways. I would never have had the courage or nerve to reach out at an elite institution and seek a position. Moreover, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.

Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a role in Europe where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.

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