From Childhood Dreams to Soaring Heights: Meet Christian
Christian’s journey to the skies began right here at Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum. As a child, he was fascinated by our interactive cockpit exhibit, sparking a passion for aviation that eventually led him to become a Breeze Airways pilot. Inspired by his early experiences at the museum, Christian returned to share his story, showing how the hands-on learning and discovery he found here shaped his dreams.
Today, Christian’s story is a core part of our “Help Us Grow” campaign, aimed at funding future projects that will inspire more young minds just like his. Through his journey, we see the impact of sparking curiosity and wonder—one child at a time.
Christian, now a Breeze Airways pilot, returned to Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum to share his story and inspire the next generation. Reflecting on his childhood visits, he vividly remembers the hours spent in the museum’s cockpit exhibit, where he’d dreamed of becoming a pilot. It was in that captain’s chair, with his hands on the controls, that his fascination with aviation truly took off. Today, he recalls how those early experiences at the museum laid the foundation for his career, sparking a passion that never faded.
In an interview with us, Christian spoke about the museum’s impact on his journey, hoping his story would encourage young visitors to dream big and pursue their passions. By sharing his journey, he aims to show kids that the dreams they nurture today can become tomorrow’s achievements.
Christian’s return to the museum is filled with gratitude; he realizes that those early moments played a pivotal role in his journey. Now, as he shares his story, he hopes to inspire the next generation, encouraging them to dream big and believe in the possibilities that await.
Read a bit of Christian’s words where he recalls fond memories, including memories at the museum and how that impacted his life decisions:
“Some of my earliest memories as a child are sitting on the couch watching the movie Apollo 13 with my grandpa and going to a field where you could watch the airplanes takeoff and land with my family. The sky has always filled me with wonder and curiosity.
When my family took me to the aviation exhibit at the children’s museum I was even more hooked. I got to sit in a very realistic cockpit and I absolutely loved it! All the buttons, knobs, and controls seemed like magic and I couldn’t believe people knew how to fly these things, but I knew I wanted to some day.
Fast forward 25 ish years and now I know what all those buttons and knobs do but they still seem like magic to me. The views you experience and the peace you feel from 35,000 feet in the air never gets old.
I am very lucky that I get to fly for a living and am grateful that I had the opportunity to explore my passion hands on at the Children’s Museum. The picture I have of me at the museum many years ago has been a great inspiration to me and a reminder to follow my dreams.”
Why is it important to support museum exhibits in the long run?
Supporting the museum’s exhibits means supporting these moments of discovery and inspiration. Each interactive space has the potential to shape a child’s future, just as it did for Christian.
By investing in the museum, donors invest in experiences that ignite dreams, cultivate curiosity, and foster learning in ways that traditional classrooms cannot. Every contribution helps build exhibits that launch pads for the next generation, ensuring that future pilots, scientists, and artists.
Christian’s story beautifully illustrates the mission behind our year-end campaign, Help Us Grow. This campaign aims to raise $25,000 to create the largest rooftop garden for children in America—a new exhibit designed to be a space of exploration and wonder, much like the cockpit exhibit was for Christian years ago. Just as he was inspired by his time at Discovery Gateway, we believe this garden will be a place where countless children can dream, discover, and develop lifelong interests.
“Help Us Grow” our latest exhibit – every contribution brings us closer to creating a space that inspires curiosity and ambition, helping kids reach for their own dreams
