A Special Dedication to Filipino-Americans Around the World
Every once in a while, someone comes along who makes us stop what we are doing and say, “Wow! He is one of us!”
That was my reaction when I first saw Paolo Pasco on Jeopardy!
Paolo Pasco recently made history by winning the 2026 Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions, defeating two outstanding competitors, Scott Riccardi and TJ Fisher. He did something remarkable—he won all three games of the championship and took home the $250,000 grand prize. He also earned a place in the next Jeopardy! Masterscompetition.
But there was something else about Paolo that caught my attention.
The first time I inquired about him, I did not see much mention of his Filipino-American background. Yet, when I watched him on television, I had a feeling that Paolo had Filipino connections. I may not have been able to explain exactly why, but my Filipino radar was telling me something!
So I did a little more research. And I was delighted to discover that my instinct was correct. A Harvard Magazine profile of Paolo identifies him specifically as a Filipino American who grew up in San Diego, California.
That discovery made his Jeopardy! victory even more special to me.
From San Diego to Harvard
Paolo Pasco is not your ordinary trivia contestant.
He is a puzzle writer and crossword constructor, and his love of puzzles started when he was only in the eighth grade. According to Harvard, while on a family road trip, he discovered the New York Times crossword app and became fascinated with crossword puzzles.
What started as a childhood interest eventually became a remarkable career.
His puzzles have appeared in major publications including The New York Times, The Atlantic, the Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal, and USA Today.
And then there is Harvard. Paolo graduated from Harvard University in 2022 with an A.B. in Computer Science. He was a computer science concentrator at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
I find his combination of computer science and crossword construction particularly fascinating.
At first, these two interests might seem completely different. But Paolo explains that solving a crossword involves logic, structure, problem-solving and creativity—the same kinds of skills that can be useful in computer programming.
In other words, his brain was trained both to think logically and creatively.
Perhaps that helps explain his extraordinary performance on Jeopardy!
A Filipino-American Achievement
For me, however, Paolo's story is bigger than Jeopardy!.
It is another example of how Filipino-Americans continue to make their mark in American society.
We see Filipino-Americans in medicine, science, engineering, education, business, politics, entertainment, the military, sports and virtually every profession imaginable.
Now we can add Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions winner to the list.
And I am particularly proud because I know something about the Filipino-American journey.
I came to the United States from the Philippines in 1960. Like many immigrants, I came with dreams, ambitions and the desire to build a better future. I eventually earned my Ph.D., built a career in pharmaceutical chemistry, worked for the FDA, and became part of the American community while never forgetting where I came from.
That is one of the beautiful things about being Filipino-American.
We can become American without forgetting that we are Filipino.
Our children and grandchildren may be born in America. They may speak English better than Tagalog, Ilonggo or other Philippine languages. They may grow up eating hamburgers and pizza while still enjoying adobo, pancit, lumpia and sinigang.
But somewhere in their heritage is a connection to the Philippines.
Paolo Pasco is a wonderful example.
More Than Knowing the Answers
What impressed me most about Paolo is that his success did not come simply from memorizing thousands of facts.
His journey demonstrates something I have written about many times in my blog:
Lifelong learning matters.
Paolo became interested in puzzles as a young boy. He continued learning. He developed his skills. He attended Harvard. He became a professional puzzle constructor and editor. And eventually, all those years of curiosity and learning helped prepare him for the biggest stage in trivia television.
His story reminds me that curiosity is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves.
I am now 91 years old, and I still consider myself a lifelong learner.
I play Bridge and Mahjong. I read about science, technology, politics, history and genealogy. I write almost every day. And in recent years, I have become fascinated by artificial intelligence and what it can do to help an old writer like me continue learning and communicating with readers around the world.
Age should never be an excuse to stop learning.
Paolo's story proves the same thing from another generation.
To My Fellow Filipino-Americans
I want to dedicate this article to all Filipino-Americans around the world.
Whether you were born in Manila, Iloilo, Cebu, Davao, Bacolod, Baguio or San Diego or whether your parents or grandparents came from the Philippines, you can take pride in Paolo Pasco's accomplishment.
When a Filipino-American succeeds, it is not necessary for us to claim that achievement as our own.
But we can certainly celebrate it. We can say: “Mabuhay, Paolo!”
You have made Filipino-Americans proud. And perhaps Paolo's greatest lesson is not that he knows more trivia than everybody else. You are now listed officially in Filipino-American Pride List.
It is that a young boy who discovered crossword puzzles during a family road trip could follow his curiosity, develop his talents, graduate from Harvard, become a respected puzzle writer and eventually become a Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions winner.
That is an inspiring journey. And it reminds me of something my parents' generation taught us:
Dream big. Work hard. Keep learning. And never forget where you came from.
Congratulations, Paolo Pasco. From one Filipino-American to another:
Mabuhay and congratulations on becoming the 2026 Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions!
And to all my Filipino-American readers around the world-this one is for you.
Mabuhay tayong lahat! Long Live to All of Us!
AI Impressions on this Posting:
I particularly like the “Filipino radar” passage for your voice. It makes the article personal and gives it a little of the warmth and humor that your readers have come to expect from your posts.
One factual point I deliberately handled carefully: the reliable Harvard source confirms that Pasco is Filipino-American, but I did not find a sufficiently authoritative source establishing his specific Filipino family lineage or which parent is Filipino. So I would not speculate about his particular Philippine ancestry in the blog unless we can document it.
