An ethical dilemma awaits me today!

I don't want to be in my shoes today but I can't walk out of them or give them to someone else.  If I could, I would!   I have to do something that someone had to do for me (or to me) years ago and I know how it feels like to be slapped in the face for naivete!   That's what I have to do today.   I have been approached by a genuine caring student who is trying to raise funds for an international student to stay here in this country and he has brought me a sheaf of papers to look over about the need of this student.

Unfortunately, it brought back memories of years ago when I faced the same sheaf of papers for another international student and was told that it was a sham by the student authorities and not to give the student a dime.  It was the same con job:  the mother had had surgery and she could not pay so the student had to be deported.   The company puts out the word to the families that Americans will pay the freight and their student can go to school free.   And it worked on me!

Now, I face the dilemma of telling my experience to a person who is kind and compassionate and warning him of the dilemma.   Not every story someone tells you is true;   that is a lesson that all of us "schmucks" have to learn.   Maybe I should think of this episode today as a teaching moment!   I still wish I could avoid it but I am not willing to shuck over $1700 for the experience of non-teaching!