Sergio Longino Ortega Believes I am His Hero

Sergio Longino Ortega Believes that I am His Hero

Dani Higgins, a Polk County educator assigned to keep migrant children in school, recruited me to be a mentor to agricultural worker children living in Mulberry FL, nine miles south of Lakeland. She was collaborating with a scholarship program, “Take Stock in Children.” TSIC, is a Florida based program that provides student scholarships to children whose families earn less that $25,000 a year.

Students qualify if they keep their grades up through high school and don’t get in trouble in the law. They are vetted in the 8th grade, then are counselled and receive a mentor to meet with them at least twice a month. Upon graduation, these students automatically a scholarship which thay apply to go on to college or trade school. Most attend local colleges like Polk State and the University of South Florida.  A few have gone on to Harvard, MIT, and Stanford with full rides.

I began my mentorship in 2017 with Sergio and another boy, students at the Mulberry High School. I met with them for a half hour each, once a week.

Sergio is an only child, born in Mexico. After his parents crossed the border, as undocumented cizens, Sergio was four years old. They entered the agricultural, migratory labor force, picking fruit and vegetables. He was born with congenital issues including severe hearing loss and a damaged heart valve. His conditions had set him back from school for several years.

These issues didn’t deter his determination to overcome his disabilities and to get an education. His parents supported him in attaining his goals. When I started mentoring him, he was wearing a falty hearing aid, attached to his skull. He barely could hear. His speech was slurred. His dry humor was contagious.

As an illegal alien, he and his parents lived under the threat of deportation.  Then President Obama signed an executive order that established the DACA program.  This gave children who had entered the US illegal temporary residency status. I remember when he told me when he attained temporary status.  This gave him the privilege to get his driver’s license, pay into social security, and get a job legally. I remember his joy, punctuated with a big grin  

I spent two years with Sergio and during that time his life was to have a radical transformation. With Dani’s help and support of the First United Methodist Church of Lakeland, we put together a program so that Sergio could receive internal hearing implants.  The Mid-Florida Speech and Hearing Center purchased the modern hearing aids. First Church with donations from supporters purchased the aids, each one costing $5,000.00. A call was made to the Lakeland Regional Medical Center who contacted an EMT physical, Dr. Lakhani who offered to do the surgery to insert the aids, pro-bono.

Sergio came through the procedure without a hitch.  Then the magical day when Sergio and I sent to the Speech and Hearing Clinic where he was fitted with his hearing aids.  The change was remarkable.  Sergio’s face lightened up as he began to hear sounds he had never heard before.

After the fitting, Sergio and I went to lunch to Reececliffe’s for lunch.  As we were conversing, he suddenly stopped me and ask, “what are those rushing sounds?”  I said that it was the traffice outside. Then he said, “I can hear people at the next table talking!”

He was launched into a new life.

Shortly thereafter, he graduated from high school, and as expected he received his scholarship worth $30,000. He enrolled at Polk State College. He attended for a semester, but decided to switch of over to the Traviss Technical School.  A year later he graduated as a licensed auto-body repair man.

Throughout most his life, he worked the fields during the summers with his parents. As his parents reached their senior years they found stable work in a nursery, leaving behind their migrant work.  Sergio found a job as an auto-body repair man.  

We continue to check in with each other. Many times, Sergio has expressed his appreciation for all the support he has received, yet he never has told me that I am his hero.

What I do know is HE my hero.