About Patrick Stuart
Christian, Husband, Father, Senior Front End Engineer, AI Expert, and Technology Enthusiast
๐ถ From the Beginning
Family, Adoption, and Early Years
โค๏ธ Family Story
Patrick was born and quickly adopted by two loving parents who raised him with care and devotion. Soon after his adoption, his parents welcomed their first biological child - his sister, creating a beautiful blended family.
๐ Blessed with loving adoptive parents and a wonderful sister
๐ Birth Family Discovery
At age 18, Patrick found his birth parents and discovered he had 2 half brothers and 2 half sisters. This unique family dynamic makes him an only child, the oldest child, and the youngest child - but never a middle child!
๐ญ The only person who can claim to be an only, oldest, and youngest child simultaneously!
๐ Growing Up on the Move
Patrick's childhood was filled with adventure as his family moved across multiple states, giving him exposure to different cultures and communities throughout the Midwest and beyond.
๐บ๏ธ Journey Across America
Patrick has moved over 30 times through many cities, each contributing to his diverse upbringing:
๐ Education Journey
Hopkins High School
Graduated in 1993
Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN - Bachelor's in Theatre
Theater Background
Developed love for performance
Early Tech Interest
Calculator watch kid in the 80s
Early Beginnings
๐ Growing Up
Patrick's childhood was filled with adventure and discovery. Growing up in a loving adoptive family, he developed a strong sense of curiosity and a passion for learning that would shape his future.
๐ Blessed with a supportive family that encouraged exploration and learning
๐ญ Theater Background
Patrick's journey into the arts began early, leading him to pursue a degree in Theater from Purdue University. This background in performance and storytelling has influenced his approach to user experience design and communication.
๐ Discovery Journey
At age 18, Patrick discovered his birth family, revealing a complex family tree that includes:
Adoptive Family
Loving parents and sister
Birth Family
2 half brothers, 2 half sisters
Unique Position
Only, oldest, and youngest child
๐ Educational Foundation
Purdue University
Bachelor's in Theater
Performance Arts
Acting and directing
Self-Taught Programming
Started coding as a child
Technical Skills
Problem-solving mindset
โ๏ธ Engineer at Heart
"As engineers, we were going to be in a position to change the world - not just study it,"-Henry Petroski from his book, To Engineer Is Human: The Role of Failure in Successful Design
๐ด Lessons from Grandpa
Patrick was taught by his grandfather to take apart things and put them back together. He taught him how to build things, how to shoot guns, and how to clean and gut fish (which he can't stand).
๐ง From disassembly to reassembly - the foundation of engineering thinking
๐งฌ Inherited Ingenuity
Patrick's grandfather was an amazing inventor, builder, and problem solver. Later, Patrick would discover that his biological father was very similar - proving that engineering runs in the family.
๐งฌ Nature and nurture - engineering DNA combined with learned skills
๐๏ธ Natural Problem Solver
Patrick loves to build things and figure out solutions to complex problems. Although he doesn't have an engineering degree (he did go to Purdue), he has been engineering solutions since he was a kid.
๐ฏ Engineering Mindset
Analytical Thinking
Breaking down complex problems
Practical Solutions
Building real-world applications
Continuous Innovation
Always improving and iterating
Technology Enthusiast
Patrick has been an avid technology geek, even before it was popular and cool. He was that kid in grade school with a calculator watch, in the 80s. He had the first of any tech toy and gadget that practically ever came out, including mini-disc, Tandy Zoomer, and yes, a Microsoft Zune.
A long time beta tester for a variety of consumer and business solutions and hardware, Patrick loves to break things and even put them back together. Despite having a theater degree, Patrick has been coding since he was a kid and first made that turtle move 3 steps forward and then turn right.
๐ป Working knowledge of over a dozen of programming languages from JavaScript to PostScript, Pascal to Flutter.
๐ฎ Avid Video Game Player
From Pong to Modern Gaming โข Console to PC โข MMORPG Veteran
๐น๏ธ Gaming Evolution
Patrick's gaming journey spans decades, starting with the classics and evolving through every generation of gaming technology.
๐จโ๐ฆ Gaming Communities
Active member of gaming communities for fathers and families:
Dads of Destiny
Destiny gaming community for fathers
Federation of Fathers
Gaming community for dads
๐ MMORPG Veteran
Extensive experience in massively multiplayer online role-playing games:
Asheron's Call
Classic MMORPG
EverQuest
Norrath adventures
World of Warcraft
Azeroth veteran
The Matrix Online
Digital world
๐ฏ Plus many more MMORPGs and online gaming experiences
๐ท๏ธ Gaming Handles
Xbox Gamertag
pstuart
Steam Username
pstew21
๐ฎ Always up for a good game - feel free to add me!
๐ผ Career Journey
From Systems Analyst to Senior Front End Engineer
Xerox Corporation
Systems Analyst and Production Consultant. Developed solutions in PostScript, VIPP, and JavaScript.
Bureau of Engraving
Helped run Bureau of Engraving, Inc. to launch a digital print division and transform a correspondence school into the digital age.
NPSRS, LLC
Founded company to develop custom solutions around Control4 and SmartThings platforms. Wrote drivers, apps, and integrations.
Hubitat
Head of Product & Business Development. Helped build the core hub code UI/UX, Hubitat Dashboard, Maker API, and many apps.
Art Instruction Schools
As President, migrated 20-year-old databases and launched their online platform in July 2015.
Avoya Travel
Senior Front-End Engineer since 2019. Building exceptional user experiences and leading development teams.
Beyond Technology
๐ค Entertainment
Patrick has been the host of various podcasts, most notably "Today in Print", "Money Well Spent", "No Limits", and "The Commute", and hosted "Live Code Fridays" from his Stuarttech Studios.
๐๏ธ Stuarttech Studios - A full broadcast and podcast studio built from scratch in his basement, complete with professional audio equipment and streaming capabilities
๐พ Tennis Journey
Patrick played competitive tennis at an early age, showing great promise in the sport. However, a car accident at age 18 derailed that path, putting his tennis career on hold for nearly three decades.
Twenty-eight years later, Patrick rediscovered his passion for tennis, returning to the court to play USTA league and tournaments. He also served as a high school tennis coach, sharing his knowledge and love of the game with young players.
๐พ From competitive youth player to USTA league competitor and high school coach - a true tennis comeback story
๐ Current Role
Patrick joined Avoya Travel in 2019 as Senior Front-End Engineer and has been there ever since, focusing on building exceptional user experiences and leading development teams.
๐ Senior Front-End Engineer with expertise in modern JavaScript frameworks and 25+ years of development experience
โณ Golf Passion
Patrick's grandfather made him a cut-down set of irons to practice as a kid, introducing him to the game of golf at an early age. While he enjoyed the sport, it wasn't until recently that he decided to take it seriously.
After joining a country club with his wife, who is also learning the game, Patrick has embraced golf as a serious pursuit, combining his love for the sport with quality time spent with his partner.
โณ From childhood practice with grandpa's cut-down irons to country club membership with his wife - golf has become a family affair
๐ญ Stand-Up Comedy Career
7 Years โข 300+ Shows โข Nationwide Performances
๐ช Comedy Journey
Patrick spent 7 years in the world of stand-up comedy, performing over 300 shows across the United States. Starting in Minnesota, his comedy career took him to stages all across the country.
๐ All comedy earnings were donated to charity
๐ Working with Legends
Patrick had the honor of opening for and working alongside some of comedy's biggest names:
Louie Anderson
Emmy Award Winner
Scott Hansen
Comedy Veteran
Jim Wiggins
Stand-Up Legend
Kevin Meaney
Comedy Icon
๐บ๏ธ Nationwide Performances
Patrick's comedy career took him to stages across the country, performing in major cities and venues:
๐ฏ Comedy Highlights
300+ Shows
Performed across 7 years
Opening Act
Regular opener for headliners
Host Experience
Hosted shows and events
โ๏ธ Faith & Service
Christian Faith, Church Leadership, and Mentoring
๐ Christian Faith
Patrick is a devoted Christian who finds strength and purpose in his faith. His relationship with Jesus Christ is the foundation of his life, guiding his decisions, relationships, and service to others.
๐ "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16
๐๏ธ Church Leadership
Patrick serves his church community in multiple leadership roles, including Director of Pastoral Care and Director of Production, using his technical skills and leadership experience to serve the congregation.
๐ Leading People to Jesus
Patrick's greatest passion is leading people to Jesus Christ and mentoring them through their faith journey. He believes in the transformative power of God's love and strives to be a living example of Christ's teachings.
โจ "Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." - Matthew 5:16
๐ค Mentoring Through Christ
Spiritual Mentoring
Guiding others in their faith journey
Pastoral Care
Providing spiritual support and guidance
Production Ministry
Using technical skills to serve the church
๐จโ๐ฉโ๐งโ๐ฆ Family Life
Love, Marriage, and the Modern Brady Bunch
๐ First Chapter
Patrick got married out of college and built a life with his first wife, welcoming two beautiful daughters into the world. They were married for nearly 22 years, but struggled for the last 7. Then at the start of COVID in 2020, she decided to end the marriage and they got divorced.
๐ง Blessed with two amazing, independent daughters
๐ต New Beginnings
As Billy Joel sang, "Got a new wife, got a good life, and the family is fine." After his divorce, Patrick found love again and got remarried in 2022 to an amazing woman who has brought new joy and happiness to his life.
๐ 2022 brought new love and a beautiful blended family
๐ The Modern Brady Bunch
Patrick is now also a stepfather to three wonderful boys, creating a blended family that's just one short of the classic Brady Bunch - which would make for a fantastic sitcom reboot!
โค๏ธ Family Values
Strong Family Values
A Father's Love for his Children
Modern Family
Embracing the beauty of blended families
Sitcom Material
Ready for the Brady Bunch reboot!
๐ค AI Expertise
Prompt Engineering, LLM Platforms, and Generative AI
๐ฏ Prompt Engineering
Patrick is proficient in prompt engineering across leading AI platforms, crafting effective prompts to maximize AI model performance and achieve desired outcomes.
๐ก Expert in crafting prompts that unlock the full potential of AI models
๐ Leading AI Platforms
Proficient with the latest AI platforms and tools, including:
ChatGPT
OpenAI's GPT
Grok
xAI Platform
Claude
Anthropic AI
Cursor
AI-Powered IDE
Gemini
Google AI
Hugging Face
AI Model Hub
๐ Local LLM & Model Training
Experienced with local large language model deployment and model training, including:
๐จ Generative AI
Text Generation
Creative writing, content creation
Photo Generation
AI-powered image creation
Video Generation
AI video creation and editing
Audio Generation
AI music and sound creation
๐ Passionate about pushing the boundaries of generative AI across all media types