As he boarded the Boeing 737 United Airlines jet at Newark International Airport destined for Orlando, Fla., a young Demetrius Apostolis looked left while sporting an inquisitive look on his face. That’s where the cockpit was, and the aviation enthusiast wanted to get a quick peek before taking his seat.
But as he peered into the flight deck, he caught the eye of the captain who would be transporting him, his grandmother, mother and siblings to their vacation. The captain invited the clearly curious Apostolis, who was 10 or 11 years old at the time, into the cockpit for a look.
Apostolis’ destination was Walt Disney World, which holds an official slogan of “Most Magical Place on Earth.” But in that moment, it was hard to picture a more mystical spot than the quarters containing the instruments needed to fly the aircraft.
“Being able to sit in the cockpit, talk with the captain and see everything up close—that experience had a huge impact on me,” Apostolis said. “Seeing all the controls, being in that space—it really affirmed my passion for aviation.
“It was honestly a pivotal moment in my life.”
And that’s no hyperbole.
Because shortly after he graduates with high honors from the George Washington University on Sunday, Apostolis will head to Phoenix to begin the United Airlines Aviate Program, a pilot training program with a less than 10% acceptance rate.
Apostolis, a history major and organizational science minor who also served as GW’s Student Government Association (SGA) vice president during the 2023-2024 school year, loved aviation long before his pinnacle experience in the cockpit. The Flemington, N.J., native took his first discovery flight when he was 5 years old. Despite his young age at the time, he remembers the calmness he had the farther off the ground he was.
But he also had a love for politics and law, which ultimately led him to GW, where he would soar on a more figurative level.
Apostolis spent nearly three years with the SGA, rising from Columbian College of Arts and Sciences senator all the way to VP. He also landed several internships and worked on campus for the Center for Career Services, which played a big role in his pivot to pursuing his true passion—planes.
Apostolis realized his heart belonged to the skies, and the dominoes quickly fell into place. First, GW Aviators—a new student aviation organization—reached out to him as SGA VP. Apostolis helped them get funding for a low-cost ground school program so students who couldn’t afford to fly could still learn. Then, GW Aviators would eventually partner with a flight school called Aero Elite in Virginia. Apostolis, who remained involved getting the student org off the ground, ended up starting lessons at Aero Elite and even later got a part-time job there.
While studying for his private pilot lessons and written exams added to an already full plate of responsibilities, the reward was completely worth it.
“It was intense, but pilot training didn’t feel like a chore—it was something I truly enjoyed,” Apostolis said.
The first time he flew a plane gave Apostolis a rush of dopamine similar to what he experienced a decade earlier in the cockpit of the United Airlines jet. He’ll never forget that weightless feeling as he propelled the Cessna 172 he was piloting further off the runway at Leesburg Executive Airport and higher into the Virginia sky as the Shenandoah Mountains to the south came more and more into view.
His instructor, whom Apostolis said was very hands-on and a great teacher, told him he would assist in the landing and keep his hands on the controls. But as they were descending closer to the ground, Apostolis realized the instructor’s hands weren’t touching anything, and that he was the one landing the plane.
“With his help, of course, but it was surreal,” Apostolis said. “That moment got me totally hooked. Up there, it doesn’t feel like work—it’s peaceful.”
He’ll certainly have plenty of work at United Aviate Academy, where he’ll spend roughly a year and a half intensely. The program will take him through all the necessary certifications—private pilot, instrument rating, commercial license and various instructor ratings. Along the way, he'll be mentored by United pilots and will have access to a dedicated training center that supports job placement with regional carriers.
After building flight hours through instructing or commuter jobs, Apostolis will have a strong pathway to join a United Express carrier and potentially move into a mainline United pilot position—perhaps one day returning the favor to a young person boarding the plane he’s captaining.
Apostolis is grateful for his transformation at GW, where he turned from self-defined introvert to confident leader and communicator, skills that are critical in the cockpit.
“Through meeting people here—through my professors, giving presentations, and also through SGA—I was able to push myself out of my shell,” Apostolis said. “The ability to network, to talk to people and hold a conversation—those interpersonal skills that you don’t always get taught but learn along the way—I think that was the most crucial thing for me.”
It’s bittersweet for Apostolis to be graduating from GW, a place he’s grown and learned so much about himself. But it’s also exciting as he proudly noted he’ll be part of the GW to United Airlines pipeline that also includes the airline’s CEO, Scott Kirby, M.S. ‘93.
“This is what college is for, right? To give you that foundation for what’s next,” Apostolis said. “So, while I’m sad to leave, I’m excited for the future.”
On Sunday, he’ll be donning his blue graduation gown along with the rest of the Class of 2025 looking up the Washington Monument. Someday in the future, he very well may be donning a pilot’s uniform looking down on the scenery beneath him.
