When it comes to Purdue heroes, Christopher Stewart (AAE’12) has at least four. How do we know this? He named his children after them.
Chistopher and his wife, Kadie, have two sons and two daughters. Their sons, Neil and Sully, are named after famed moonwalker Neil Armstrong (AAE’55, HDR E’70) and Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger (MS HHS’73, HDR LA’11), who gained renown for successfully landing a commercial airplane on the Hudson River—saving 155 lives—in 2009. Their daughters, Amelia and Janice, are named after legendary aviator Amelia Earhart and pioneering astronaut Janice Voss (AAE’75).
Each in their own way, these four Purdue icons have inspired Christopher, who is also a pilot, throughout his life. After flying for the U.S. Air Force for 11 years, he is now a pilot for American Airlines.
“Growing up, I wanted to fly and once dreamed of becoming an astronaut,” says Christopher, who is originally from Benton, Illinois. “Since Purdue is the Cradle of Astronauts, I was immediately drawn to it. The moment I stepped foot on campus, I knew this was where I wanted to be.”
Christopher holds great respect for Earhart for guiding women who pursued careers in aviation and admires Voss for her accomplishments as Purdue’s first female astronaut. As for Armstrong and Sullenberger, he was amazed by their individual accomplishments, of course, but he was also impressed by how they navigated the spotlight.
“They were thrust into fame, but they’ve both been so humble about it,” Christopher says. “What can you say about Neil Armstrong? He’s the first man to walk on the moon! Sully has used his platform to continue advancing safety legislation—as someone who works in the airline industry, that’s very important to me.”
So, how did the children come to be named after Christopher’s Purdue heroes? The answer is simple: Christopher and Kadie had trouble coming up with names, so their Boilermaker spirit just took over.
“My wife might say I came up with it, but I would say it was more of a collaboration,” Christopher says. “We were kicking some names around, and I said, ‘Well, if it’s a boy, how about Neil, and if it’s a girl, how about Amelia?’ And then that pattern just continued. The kids know who they’re named after, and they’re interested in learning more about them.”
At Purdue, Christopher was both an engineering student and a member of the Air Force ROTC, which meant many early mornings of physical training. He’s also a longtime Purdue sports fan who, as a student, held both football and basketball season tickets—he was even part of the crew that began the tradition of camping out at Mackey Arena prior to basketball games.
So, it’s safe to say he stayed busy.
“It was nonstop the whole time,” Christopher says. “I loved it there, everything about it—even those cold winter days and those dark, dark walks to my 7:30 a.m. classes.”
Christopher continues to find ways to stay connected to Purdue. He’s a member of the John Purdue Club and spends time with alumni organizations––both his local chapter and ones he visits during his travels. On his layovers, he wears both a Purdue hat and a Purdue lanyard to show his Boilermaker pride.
“There’s not a time that goes by on any trip that I don’t get a ‘Boiler Up!’” he says.
The Stewarts return to campus as often as they can. The family currently lives in Missouri, which is the closest they’ve been to Purdue in years.
“It’s a four-and-a-half-hour drive, but we’ve made it back to campus more in this last year than we did in the past nine year combined,” Christopher says. “I want to show my kids all the things I loved as a student. That was five years of my life, and I’m excited for them to experience something that’s played such a pivotal role in my life.”
“Victories & Heroes: Your Campaign for Purdue” is inspired by the powerful words of Purdue’s fight song, recognizing those who came before. If you have kids named Joe, Barry, and Carroll—or if you have your own Purdue hero—we want to hear from you! Please share your story for an opportunity to be featured.
You can also contribute to the campaign today! Your investment will strengthen Purdue, elevate the university’s reputation, and expand opportunities for current and future Boilermakers.
—Keagan Slocum
