MG&E's Charles Warner
The Filipino in me
The Filipino in me
| Heidi M. Pascual* Publisher & Editor * 2006 Journalist of the Year for the State of Wisconsin (U.S.-SBA) |
completely from the ‘other clan,’ which he didn’t find very warm towards him anyway.
His great grandparents left the Philippines and immigrated to Hawaii at the turn of the century to
work on the plantations. His mom, Donna, was also born in Hawaii; so mother and son do not speak
Filipino, however, the traditions were kept alive.
“I am an only child, so I was like, ‘yeah, I’m mommy’s boy for sure,’” Charles admitted with a big
grin. “She put me in a Catholic school, and so without that upbringing at St. Elizabeth, I don’t think I’d
be where I am at today, because the nuns were very strict. All the nuns were Filipino nuns and they
ruled with a yard stick. So I got my discipline through them.”
When his mother remarried, the family moved to San Francisco for a couple of years and then to
Pardeeville, Wis., where his stepfather, a retired naval personnel, came from.
It was definitely a huge adjustment for young Charles. “Growing up in Hawaii, I remember spending
every day at the beach,” he recalled, as if imagining the warmth of the sand under his feet and the sun
on his skin. “In San Francisco, we lived in the middle of the bay, so I always had an ocean in my
backyard.”
His great grandparents left the Philippines and immigrated to Hawaii at the turn of the century to
work on the plantations. His mom, Donna, was also born in Hawaii; so mother and son do not speak
Filipino, however, the traditions were kept alive.
“I am an only child, so I was like, ‘yeah, I’m mommy’s boy for sure,’” Charles admitted with a big
grin. “She put me in a Catholic school, and so without that upbringing at St. Elizabeth, I don’t think I’d
be where I am at today, because the nuns were very strict. All the nuns were Filipino nuns and they
ruled with a yard stick. So I got my discipline through them.”
When his mother remarried, the family moved to San Francisco for a couple of years and then to
Pardeeville, Wis., where his stepfather, a retired naval personnel, came from.
It was definitely a huge adjustment for young Charles. “Growing up in Hawaii, I remember spending
every day at the beach,” he recalled, as if imagining the warmth of the sand under his feet and the sun
on his skin. “In San Francisco, we lived in the middle of the bay, so I always had an ocean in my
backyard.”
Charles Warner, a residential services specialist at
Madison Gas & Electric, welcomes the challenges of
helping Madison families save on energy and make their
homes safe and comfortable to live in. Only in his late 20s,
Warner is no stranger to this job, having worked for six years
at Energy Services Inc. (ESI), located on Madison’s south
side. This two-part article will first introduce Charles to our
readers and then focus on his work and its huge
significance to our community.
Born in Hawaii, Charles Warner is a mixed-race Asian
American who’s closer to his mother’s Filipino (Chinese and
Spanish) ancestry than to his dad’s German-Irish ancestry. It
isn’t because his physical looks are far from being “German”
Madison Gas & Electric, welcomes the challenges of
helping Madison families save on energy and make their
homes safe and comfortable to live in. Only in his late 20s,
Warner is no stranger to this job, having worked for six years
at Energy Services Inc. (ESI), located on Madison’s south
side. This two-part article will first introduce Charles to our
readers and then focus on his work and its huge
significance to our community.
Born in Hawaii, Charles Warner is a mixed-race Asian
American who’s closer to his mother’s Filipino (Chinese and
Spanish) ancestry than to his dad’s German-Irish ancestry. It
isn’t because his physical looks are far from being “German”
| Charles with mom, Donna, at a local Filipino American organization's Spring Fling 2008 |
(although it accounts for it partly) but primarily because
of the close-knit Filipino family tradition that he grew up
with. Also, his parents’ divorce separated him
of the close-knit Filipino family tradition that he grew up
with. Also, his parents’ divorce separated him
He has since gotten used to Wisconsin’s cold months, having lived
here since he was in seventh grade. “So I actually lived in Wisconsin for
the majority of my life,” Charles said, quickly adding, “But I still consider
myself from Hawaii, though, because that’s where my family is.” Every visit,
which, unfortunately cannot be as often as he would like, always ended up
like a big family reunion.
Charles developed a passion for cinema while in high school, so he
planned on taking up mass communication with a focus on film after
graduation. “But all of the tests and assessments that I took in high school
said that I’d be good at computers or accounting,” he recalled. “My heart
couldn’t accept it, but eventually, when I went to the University of
Wisconsin-Oshkosh, I soon realized that I didn’t want to get into the film
industry anymore. It was my passion, but it is a very cutthroat industry, and I
knew I had to sacrifice a lot, maybe give up my morals! Also, certainly
being in the Midwest, it’s not the right region for it, so I didn’t want those
things to affect the passion I have for cinema.”
With much thought, Charles set his passion aside, left school and
sought to discover what he really wanted to do with his life. “I wanted to
satisfy my creative side and at the same time help those who can’t help
themselves,” he said. “I then wanted to go into marketing, and working here
at MGE has really been able to satisfy both of those desires.”
(Part 2 will talk about his work at MGE and his journey to complete a
marketing degree at MATC.)
here since he was in seventh grade. “So I actually lived in Wisconsin for
the majority of my life,” Charles said, quickly adding, “But I still consider
myself from Hawaii, though, because that’s where my family is.” Every visit,
which, unfortunately cannot be as often as he would like, always ended up
like a big family reunion.
Charles developed a passion for cinema while in high school, so he
planned on taking up mass communication with a focus on film after
graduation. “But all of the tests and assessments that I took in high school
said that I’d be good at computers or accounting,” he recalled. “My heart
couldn’t accept it, but eventually, when I went to the University of
Wisconsin-Oshkosh, I soon realized that I didn’t want to get into the film
industry anymore. It was my passion, but it is a very cutthroat industry, and I
knew I had to sacrifice a lot, maybe give up my morals! Also, certainly
being in the Midwest, it’s not the right region for it, so I didn’t want those
things to affect the passion I have for cinema.”
With much thought, Charles set his passion aside, left school and
sought to discover what he really wanted to do with his life. “I wanted to
satisfy my creative side and at the same time help those who can’t help
themselves,” he said. “I then wanted to go into marketing, and working here
at MGE has really been able to satisfy both of those desires.”
(Part 2 will talk about his work at MGE and his journey to complete a
marketing degree at MATC.)
Charles Warner (center) was brought up in the Filipino
tradition of love of family, respect for elders and others, and
strict Catholic discipline.
tradition of love of family, respect for elders and others, and
strict Catholic discipline.