This May, in celebration of Asian/Pacific American (AAPI) Heritage Month and the many generations fortifying our nation’s historical fabric and playing an important part in our future success, we’ll speak with some of Envoy’s amazing leaders to learn more about their culture and how they celebrate AAPI Heritage Month.

Let’s hear from Celzo Wanamaker who is an Envoy Manager of Baggage Services at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

What is your Envoy story?

I have been with Envoy for four years now! My current responsibility with the company is managing our baggage team — all of our baggage-transfer drivers and piers, as well as the expeditors who oversee baggage analytics and rerouting bags with their owners.

What is the significance of AAPI Heritage month to you?

AAPI heritage month has recently been a huge focus in my life, including only speaking Samoan during Samoan Language Week. AAPI Heritage Month is a time when we can share our culture to all of those around us, and teach them who we are and where we come from.

What is your cultural background and how do you like to celebrate it?

My cultural background is half Samoan and a mix of Italian and German. As a kid growing up in Independence, Mo., we hosted our own Samoan flag days and cultural events annually that I always participated in.

These events include the We Are Samoa Festival and annual fire-knife championship. As a kid, I grew up learning the Samoan language and culture in everything that we do in life.

What advice do you have for young AAPI individuals interested in an aviation career?

My advice for young AAPI individuals is to do the little things even when no one is watching — integrity and hard work builds respect. If you want to succeed and do bigger things, you must earn it; it will never just be handed to you.

For those specifically wanting to get into an aviation career, start from the bottom at an entry-level job, like I did eight years ago. Take every opportunity you get to do something better.

What’s one surprising fact others might not know about you?

One surprising fact about me that others may not know is that although I was born and raised thousands of miles away from where my bloodline comes from, I still continue a lot of those traditions today. Not only the food, the dancing, the language, but also the respect for how our elders and ancestors once lived their lives.