Where are they Now (Nona Alumni)

In this recurring monthly special, Nonahood News will be featuring those who’ve graduated from Lake Nona High School and will recognize the achievements they’ve made since. Some will have been a part of the first graduating class. Others might have graduated a few years later. Few have stayed in the Lake Nona area, and many have explored the world or are still doing so. Let’s see where life’s journey has taken them so far!

Name: Christopher Vestal

Age: 24

Year Graduated: 2011

Occupation: Pilot

Current Location: Loveland, Ohio

This month’s star was one of the 200 or so who were in the high school’s first graduating class. The year was 2011, when Lake Nona High was still forming traditions and making its mark in the high school athletics world. Vestal moved to the Lake Nona area in 2010 from Wilmington, Ohio, and played as a fullback on the men’s varsity soccer team while he attended the school. His post-high school goals were to fly for the airlines and to continue to learn.

Christopher’s father served as his inspiration to become a pilot, and he started taking flying lessons at the age of 14. He flew his first solo flight at 16, and at the age of 18, Vestal met his goals. “I have been fortunate enough to be able to accomplish my goals I have set out for. I received all of my flight ratings, and I became an instructor teaching people to fly to gain experience. I then went on to work for United Express when I was 21, where I started as a first officer and then upgraded to captain at 23, where I was the youngest captain at the airline during that time. I then was able to move on to Air Transport International, where now I am currently the youngest captain at the company there at 24.”

Vestal was recognized by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for his aviation accomplishments when he received his commercial pilot license and is now one of the youngest 767 captains in the industry. “I have known I’ve wanted to be a pilot since I was practically born. It’s been the only thing I’ve wanted to do. It feels very rewarding, and I feel that I have been very fortunate to have the opportunities that I have had in life to make this happen.”

Just over the last couple of months, Vestal has accomplished some major life milestones.
“I proposed to my fiancée in February live on the Today Show. We also purchased a home in Loveland, Ohio, together, which will not only be our first home together but our first home period. [We’re also] planning our wedding in Cincinnati in June of 2018.”

Vestal actually met his fiancée, Kimberly, on Tinder, and they dated for about a year and a half when he decided to propose. He knew he wanted to propose to her after the first week of dating. Vestal applied for the Today Show to feature his proposal, and they chose him to be featured on the “Marry Me TODAY” segment. You can view the video, which aired live, by searching for “Schoolteacher stunned by surprise proposal.”

Vestal is working hard to further himself in his aviation career and plans on finishing his Bachelor’s in Aviation Science at Utah Valley University in about six months to a year. His advice for future Lake Nona alumni? “To work hard toward your goals and, even when it gets rough, to stay focused for what you ultimately want in life.”