My Unsung Hero Ana Maria Cuenca's Story
Mar 10, 2026
Ana Maria Cuenca, storyteller whose father's taxi job in Miami set the scene, recounts a small act of generosity that made a pivotal difference. She tells how a repeat passenger’s gift covered the exact fee she needed to apply to Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service. Short, personal scenes trace that moment, her transfer application, and the long ripple it created in her international affairs career.
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Taxi Passenger Paid For Her College Application
- Ana Maria Cuenca's father drove a Miami taxi and a recurring businessman passenger regularly gave extra cash meant for Ana Maria.
- On one trip in the 1990s the man handed $50 for her to "buy something really nice," which Ana Maria used to pay Georgetown's transfer application fee.
Small Acts Can Redirect A Life Trajectory
- The $50 gift directly enabled Ana Maria to submit her Georgetown transfer application and ultimately get accepted.
- She links that single act of kindness to a career in international affairs spanning decades and global travel.
She Never Got To Thank Her Donor In Person
- Decades after graduating, Ana Maria reflects on how she never told the donor what the $50 accomplished for her.
- She says if she met him she'd tell him she "bought a really, really nice thing": the chance to attend her dream university.