Over two decades ago, Giovanni Ong left his home in the Philippines and a career as a physician to chase the stories he had long heard about America.
He became enamored with this country as a kid, reading the Sears catalogs his aunt would bring him from her travels to the U.S.
“I could spend the whole day just browsing through the Sears catalog. Looking at all those toys and sports equipment,” said Ong.
Ong also absorbed American culture on T.V., seeing images of the United States as clean and modern. “Compared to my country back then, there’s a big difference. That’s one of the things that impacted me in my childhood,” he added.
It was these perceptions of America that drove Ong – now a nurse at Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez High School – to migrate to the U.S. in his 40s.
Ong is now 62 and has dedicated about 15 years to Mendez High.
To Ong, the most enjoyable part of the job is helping young people. He’s been at Mendez High since the school opened in 2009. “They’re open to advice. I just feel that somehow I’m able to be a positive factor with some students,” Ong said.
Eli Grijalva, a cheerleader at Mendez, said Ong shows care for students.
“In cheer there have been times where I’ve gotten hurt … Going to him is always so nice. He shows genuine concern for every one of his students,” Grijalva added. “He always just goes the extra mile to make sure that you’re OK.”
He also helps put students at ease, Grijalva said.
“He does have such a welcoming space that allows students to feel comfortable asking him about anything, really,” Grijalva said. “He doesn’t just feel like this nurse that you don’t really have a connection with. He actually strives to get to know the students.”
“Walking around campus, every time you see him, he’s like, ‘Hi, how are you?’” Grijalva added.
A father of three, Ong said working with young people helped make him a better parent.
“Because I see a lot of kids here, I understand what issues they face at school and home. So when I see those issues, I think of my kids, and I say, ‘Oh! I think I might have missed that. I think I should address that when I get home,’” Ong said.
Living here for more than 20 years, Ong has absorbed a more nuanced view of America, compared to the glossy images of the U.S. that he grew up seeing.
Chasing the “American dream” meant he had to spend months away from his children. Ong first came to the U.S on his own. His wife and children followed him from the Philippines a few months after he first arrived.
“You have to work really hard to make a living here,” he said.
Ong pursued a career in nursing in the U.S., after earning his credentials in the Philippines and getting certified in Guam, an unincorporated U.S. territory. He worked as a recovery room nurse for the first three years. He then shifted to school nursing as a way to spend more time with his family, especially his kids.
“When we came here they were still young, and we wanted to have more time with them,” he said.
As an immigrant, Ong said he’s felt welcomed in California.
“I’m surrounded by a lot of Asians, Hispanics, and you know, we look at each other as equals,” he said.
At Mendez High, Ong’s presence gives students a glimpse into the nursing field.
“There’s a lot of branches of nursing. … You can work in the armed forces. You can work in school, in the hospital. You can work in an outpatient setting. There’s a lot you can choose,” Ong said.
“It’s very rewarding. It comes with hard work,” Ong added. “Nurses work a lot of hours, but they get paid good.”
At Mendez, Ong sees his role as part of a larger effort.
“It takes a village to raise a child, and I think that’s what it is at Mendez High School.”