“I still remember when we flew down into Minnesota; it felt like I was in the middle of a huge snow globe, as it was my first time seeing snow,” Cisco Octavio said.

Endeavor Captain Octavio was born in the tropics of the Philippines and moved to Minnesota at age 12. It was his childhood dream to become an airline pilot. Growing up, Octavio said it was a challenge adapting to a completely different culture while being raised by a single mother, but he was determined to make his dreams come true and take advantage of the land of opportunities.

In 2017, Octavio graduated from the University of North Dakota with a degree in Commercial Aviation and Aviation Management. One year later, he began his journey as a First Officer at Endeavor Air.

When Octavio isn’t flying the CRJ-900s, the Captain serves on the Outreach and Fundraising Committee for the Professional Asian Pilots Association (PAPA).

So far, Octavio has helped plan and fundraise for the first-ever PAPA Aerospace Expo that will be held in July. Octavio and other board members have been reaching out to various aviation organizations and groups to inform them about the inaugural conference.

“Being a part of PAPA makes me appreciative of other Asian professionals in the same boat as me,” said Octavio. “My goal is to give back to the community by helping others overcome barriers and achieve their aspiration of being part of the industry.”

“It is reassuring to see that the norm of who makes up the pilot profession is changing, as it is becoming more diverse,” Octavio continued. “It is eye-opening to know that there are people with similar backgrounds and cultures as me in this profession.”

During the month of May, we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage (AAPI) Month, recognizing the contributions and influence of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States.

“The existence of AAPI Month in itself speaks volumes to how far we’ve come,” Octavio said. “This is the first time I’ve taken in appreciation of what this means for me and what this means for people in my community and culture. It feels good to be appreciated and known that we do belong in all professions.”