HOUSTON — At just 21 years old, Christian Colón is one of the youngest pilots for Mesa Airlines, a United Express Partner at Bush Intercontinental Airport.
"People give me weird looks when they see me in the cockpit," Colón said. "They think I'm a flight attendant or I'm a mechanic or something. They don't expect a young person like I am."
Colón was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. When he was 5, he and his parents moved to Houston for a better future. Recently, he said he had a chance to be a pilot of their flight.
"The reason I say this flight is special is because on row 7C I have both of my parents," Colón said over the intercom of one of his flights.
Colón graduated from Houston ISD's Sterling Aviation High School. With the help of his mentor, Andy Jamison, and the partnership that United has with the school, Colón was able to join the small number of Hispanic aircraft pilots.
In fact, Hispanic aircraft pilots make up less than 10% of the workforce in an already competitive industry.
"It just shows that anybody could do anything that they set their minds out to do," said Jamison. "Regardless of where your background is."
Colón's goal is to become the youngest Latino pilot for United Airlines, and then the youngest captain.
One of his more personal goals is to fly his parents back to Puerto Rico as a homecoming.
"I've always told my parents that, hey, I want you guys to fly with me back home because you guys took me out of Puerto Rico for a better future and I will bring you back from vacation. Back to where it all started," he said.
For Colón, there is no limit, and he wants others who look like him to know that they can accomplish anything.
"I'm here now," he said. "It took a lot of dedication and time out of my life, but I can say for the rest of my life now, I'm actually a pilot."
United has continued to support the Houston Independent School District Foundation and Sterling Aviation High School with $200,000 in cash and $100,0000 in travel between 2021 and 2024, and more than 50 United employees serve as mentors for HISD students seeking careers in aviation.