Political animal: Ung discovers passion in public service

On that day, the 26-year-old Sioux Cityan was sworn in as a Woodbury County supervisor for the Fourth District.

The swearing-in ceremony happened exactly a week after Ung defeated Democrat Alex Watters in an open seat election.

Ung was sworn in quickly because incumbent David Tripp -- whom Ung successfully challenged in a July primary -- resigned two months before his term expire because he was serving a 30-day jail term for a domestic abuse charge, an aggravated misdemeanor.

Two-and-a-half years earlier, Ung lost his first political bid -- a challenge to State Rep. Ron Jorgensen for the Republican nomination in Iowa House District Six.

With his wife Nheylin holding a Bible, Ung repeated the oath of office as administered by Iowa District Court Judge John D. Ackerman inside the Woodbury County Courthouse.

"It was an amazing ride for me," Ung said, remembering the day from his Morningside home's living room a month later. "The feeling will stick with me for the rest of my life."

The experience, he said, also connected him to his dad, Kham Vay Ung, a Chinese immigrant from Laos who became a podiatric surgeon in Sioux City.

"My dad left Laos and subsequently made a success for himself in America," Ung said. "Dad said being sworn in as an American citizen was the proudest moment of his life. I now know how he felt."

Yet Ung's own path to success was quite different than his dad's.

"Medicine was my dad's passion," Ung said softly. "My passion was in public service."

Following his own path

Growing up, Ung said he liked playing with his toy cars while watching the National Geographic Channel on TV.

"Even as a kid, I thought about traveling to distant lands all over the world," he recalled.

Indeed, Ung's original dream was to become a pilot ("That sounded exciting to me," he said), but a more persistent goal was to become his dad's helper at the Foot & Ankle Clinic, PC.

"That became my default answer when people asked about my future plans," he said. "Still, I sort of knew a career in medicine wasn't for me."

Instead, Ung earned a bachelor's degree and a master's in business administration from Creighton University and a master's in theology from Life Christian University.

In addition, he cured his wanderlust by studying abroad as well as doing missionary work in several parts of the world. It was in Honduras that he met his future wife.

Diving into new challenges

"Matthew and I are both devout Christians who believe charity is the duty of the church," Nheylin Ung explained. "Our faith is what brought us together."

However, Nheylin's college plans kept the couple apart for almost a year while she completed a bachelor's degree in finance in her native Honduras while Ung returned to the United States.

Leaving Honduras for America wasn't a hardship, Nheylin said.

"I love it here," she insisted.

Ironically, it was Ung, an SSI-certified advance open water diver, who missed the clear waters of Honduras.

"You can't seem to find any good reefs in the Midwest," he said, teasingly.

Perhaps, that's why he decided to "dive" into another sport: politics.

"As an open water diver, you learn to stay away from sharks," Ung said with a laugh. "That's also true for politics."

Swimming with the sharks

Ung said he was chastened after he lost his first political bid in June 2012.

"I was doing the opposite of a victory march by picking up yard signs the day after the primary," he remembered. "Even though I was feeling sorry for myself, people were thanking me for running. In fact, they were encouraging me to keep on trying."

Ung's next opportunity came when he defeated incumbent Supervisor David Tripp for the Republican nomination for Woodbury County's Fourth District in June.

He subsequently won the seat in Nov. 4's general election by a comfortable margin.

Ung credited a loyal group of supporters, that included Nheylin.

"Throughout the campaign, I learned what it was like to shop for groceries after midnight," Nheylin Ung explained. "I also discovered it was perfectly normal to watch DVDs of movies well into the night."

"You see, I'm an action movie buff," Ung interjected. "And Nheylin was nice enough to let me watch (1995's) 'Braveheart' at 2 a.m. as a way to rev me up after a long day on the campaign trail."

Nheylin giggled at the memory.

"Matthew may not know this but I am also a big Mel Gibson fan," she added. "That's why we'd watch 'Braveheart' together."

'You never stop learning'

Since his swearing-in ceremony, Ung has been slowly acclimating himself into the role of Woodbury County supervisor.

"I'm still the new guy but I'm asking plenty of questions," he said. "It's not something you just dive into. First, you observe. Then, you ask questions. That way, you'll be able to work hard for your constituents."

That's a sentiment Ung shared with his dad.

"My dad always said the happiest person is also the hardest worker," he noted. "You have to put in the time to become a success and you never stop learning. Otherwise, you become complacent."

Even though he chose a different path, Ung knows he has the support of his father.

"My dad is happy for me," Ung said. "I know my dad is proud I discovered my passion in public service."