On November 6, 2021, Dr. Leo De Castro —a Philosophy professor at the University of the Philippines—received four birthday cakes from an old grade school friend. They both studied at Nellie E. Brown Elementary School (NEBES), a public school in Olongapo City.

Connected to Subic Bay and facing the West Philippine Sea, Olongapo is known for being part of a US Naval Base from 1901 to 1959. Placenames in Olongapo tell stories about this time, as streets, schools, and establishments carry foreign names – most of which can easily be traced to navy officials who were previously stationed there, local government officials, and even American presidents.

But who was Nellie E. Brown?

This is the question that Leo’s daughter, Ellie, kept asking. Her Dada, his brothers, and the people they grew up with apparently didn’t know.

There are many stories about who Nellie could have been: a teacher, a volunteer, or maybe even a business owner. But no one knows for certain as official documents about the school’s first days are missing. The official history of NEBES, as documented by the Department of Education, mentions that Nellie was a Peace Corps volunteer who helped build the school. However, the timing doesn’t match: the Peace Corps started only in 1961, while the school was founded in 1953.

Why was a school named after her? And why doesn’t anyone seem to know?

Finding Nellie

What Ellie thought would be a quick Google search turned out to be an adventure that has lasted more than two years.

Finding Nellie is a project that has made a team of National Geographic explorers (archaeologists, educators, and storytellers) scour through offline and online archives in the Philippines and abroad; inquire with libraries, cemeteries, historians, and even active and retired U.S. military personnel; get in touch with local politicians (even a Senator!); and message anyone who might remotely be related to a Nellie Brown on social media, via telephone, and even by knocking on their doors. On Instagram, the team shares every step of this journey through its colorful and interactive Field Notes.

With the help of the National Geographic Society, Finding Nellie has allowed Ellie and her teammates to connect and reconnect with friends and family; foster an appreciation for community roots; and bring world history lessons a little closer to home – especially to the current students of Nellie E. Brown.

Two years and a few months later, the team is ready to announce: that Nellie has been found.

For more details, visit the project’s online spaces:

Instagram: @finding.nellie
TikTok: @finding.nellie
Website: https://www.elliedecastro.com/finding-nellie