About this episode
In the 1990s, Ana Maria's father drove a taxi in Miami. One repeat passenger had a ritual: at the end of every ride, he’d give her father $20 for Ana Maria to “buy something nice.” One day, the man pulled out a $50 bill — the exact amount she needed to apply to her dream school.
Do you have your own story of an unsung hero? We'd love to hear it! Record a voice memo and email it to us at [email protected].
Some guidance:
--Focus on ONE moment that you will never forget.
--Make sure you're in a quiet, non-echoey room.
--Speak conversationally, like you're talking to a friend.
--Let us know why this person continues to impact your life.
--If your hero were standing in front of you today, what would you say? Address them directly.
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My Unsung Hero — Ana Maria Cuenca's Story. Machine-transcribed; use the interactive transcript above to jump the player to any line.
From Hidden Brain Media, I'm Shankar Vedanta. This is my unsung hero, stories where one person reached out to help another in a time of need. I would like to thank my unsung hero. I do not know her name. And all of a sudden I look up and this hand slides to warm chocolate chip cookies across the desk. This day, it was one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me. Today's story comes from Ana Maria Cuenca. In the 1990s, Ana Maria's father drove a taxi in Miami. Every so often he would get a call from a businessman who needed a personal driver during work trips. The man always asked about Ana Maria. And at the end of each ride, he would give her father some extra cash meant for her. On one particular trip, her father mentioned that Ana Maria was now in her first year of college. And the ride ended, the man took out his wallet.
Usually he pulled out a 20. But this time, he pulled out a $50 bill and he said, I'd like you to give it to your daughter so that she can buy herself something really nice. And so when I received the $50, I was in the process of applying as a transfer student to Georgetown University's School Foreign Service. It was a school that I had wanted to go to since I was in high school. And at that point, I actually needed the $50 for the application fee. And it was like $50 was a lot of money for a college student back in 1997. And unfortunately, at that point, my parents really couldn't give me a lot of money. They were both pretty working class. And I was surviving with savings from a summer job, so it was really not a good time financially. So the $50 came perfectly. And I submitted my application and I got in as a transfer student.
Now that it's been almost a quarter of a century after I graduated, I've had a full career in international affairs. I've traveled the world. But it was a really significant thing because I never really got to tell this person what I had done with the $50 that he had given me. I mean, I guess in every career moment, when I've kind of like reviewed my career, you know, because of transitions or whatever. And I thought, wow, like this would have never been possible. And this path was forged with someone's help. If I had this person in front of me, I would say that I bought a really, really nice thing with your gift. And that was a chance at getting into the university that I had dreamed of going to.
And I ended up going to the university. So every time I think about you, I thank you. Listener Anna Maria Cuenca lives in Washington, DC. Do you have your own story of an unsung hero? Someone who noticed when he was struggling and went out of their way to help? We're looking for stories of one person and one moment when someone showed you unusual generosity. Find a quiet place and record your story using your phone, aim for three minutes or less. Then email the file to us at my unsung hero at hiddenbrain.org. Again, that email address is my unsung hero at hiddenbrain.org.
I'm Shankar Vedantum. See you soon.
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