David Nodal holds back nothing when he talks about his past. His life in Mexico. His father’s depression and multiple arrests. His mother’s abandonment. The long hours he worked to support his siblings and put food on the table.
It’s a story of survival, perseverance and a childhood lost – but ultimately, too, of extraordinary generosity, a supportive school environment and the possibilities that present themselves when a young person is given the chance to live a better life.
That’s a lot to unwind, but such is David’s life as he prepares for the next chapter following his graduation this May from Ontario High School.
“Would I change anything? No. I grabbed a lot of experiences and lessons, and I would never let that go,” he says, expressing a self-awareness and warmth that has endeared him to classmates, teachers and the family that took him in.
Now 18, David was born in Wichita, Kansas, to undocumented immigrant parents. At an early age, David and his family moved to Mexico after work dried up during the Great Recession. For a while, they lived with family members, but tensions developed and the family tried to return to the United States. His father was arrested, his mother deported and the family was back in Mexico.
There, life was a constant struggle. His father was released from jail, but was forced to stay away from the family due to domestic issues. At one point, David, his mom and siblings lived in a shelter, scraping by on whatever support they could get.
“As a kid, I was always very close to my dad. I saw how hard-working he was and how much he broke his back to take care of us,” David says. It was a bond that would compel the young boy, still in his preteens, to track down his father’s whereabouts. That led to a short-lived reconciliation between the parents, and ultimately the children’s decision to live with their father.
One day, David’s mom left, and he hasn’t heard from her since. His older sister left, too. Unable to get work and after several failed attempts to return to the U.S., the father fell into a deep depression. That put the entire financial burden of caring for his two younger siblings squarely on David’s shoulders. He took a number of jobs – often with 10-to-12-hour shifts, all while going to school and making sure his younger brother and sister did the same.
By chance, while working in a restaurant, David met Arturo and Cecilia Quintero, a couple living in the Inland Empire with two older children of their own. They struck up a friendship, and after meeting with David’s father, the couple brought the 14-year-old to the U.S. to live with them. He enrolled at Ontario High as an incoming sophomore, and three years later is ready to graduate with a 3.97 grade-point average. He holds a job, and this fall plans to attend Chaffey College en route to a career as a lawyer. Or a robotics engineer. Or whatever else might present itself to this amazingly resilient young man.
He stays in touch with his father and younger siblings as much as he can, and will continue to offer support, but doesn’t think he will ever return. “Because of what I’ve been through, I just don’t see it. I have tremendous respect for Mexico, but this is such a great country. My father would always say that too – how great the U.S. is and how good the people are,” David says.
As much as he learned from the adversity he faced, the love and structure the Quinteros have provided, and the open arms he has received at Ontario High, have given him a new perspective on life.
“I had this time in my life where I thought everyone was out there to get you, but there are people who really want to help,” David says. “From my dad, I learned how to work hard, and I think he would be proud. From Art, I’ve seen what it’s like to help someone in need. He is a really good man.”
Another role model, he says, is Eduardo Zaldivar, Ontario High’s principal: “I love how he listens to students and wants to know how they’re doing.”
Zaldivar is quick to return volley: “To see what David has been through, and how spirited a young man he is, inspires everyone – his classmates, his teachers, all of us. He has an incredible future ahead of him, and it is an honor to play a part in that.”