ON THE RISE

Benjamin Peterson

Benjamin Peterson is an eighteen-year-old San Luis Obispo High School senior and the oldest of three kids. While serious-minded—his friends joke that he’s “an old man”—his sense of humor shines with his impersonation of Louis Armstrong. We would not be surprised to see him running the country sometime in the future.

What sort of extra-curricular activities are you involved in? I am a member of the National FFA Organization and currently serve as our Regional Secretary. I compete in Prepared Public Speaking and Parliamentary Procedure debate through FFA, as well. I previously served as our Chapter and Sectional FFA President. In addition, I intern at our State Assemblyman Achadjian’s office and have previously worked with the SLO Chamber of Commerce Governmental Affairs. Harvard Model Congress and Autism Youth Ambassadors are two clubs at SLO High that I initiated. What is noteworthy about you? This past summer Senator Feinstein appointed me to the Senate Page program in Washington D.C. after I completed an extensive application process. I moved in with thirty other pages from around the nation and began working on the Senate floor. Being privy to many private conversations, commuting to the Senate everyday (about a ten minute walk), listening to Senate speeches, and getting to meet and know Senator Feinstein was an experience that fed my passion for the political process. What is going on with you now? School and homework! Taking five AP classes is not easy. I am also preparing a speech for a competition through FFA right now. I have to write an eight-minute speech about any problem in agriculture then propose a solution. The speech has to be memorized, then I will answer questions on my topic. This year I’m focusing on corn ethanol and arguing that it should be done away with due to the negative impacts it has on consumers in Third World nations and livestock producers here in the United States. What do you dislike the most? Our education system of academic achievement in the form of a letter grade combined with the pressure placed on students to “get in” (solely for college). I would enjoy a classical education system like that of our founding fathers, centered on the study of classic literature, Socratic discussion, and logical reasoning within our world in regard to every subject. That would truly be educational and inspire the desire for knowledge, not the achievement of a report card. Who or what has influenced you the most? My parents and grandparents. I’ve been blessed to have my whole extended family live here in SLO. I owe everything to them and am thankful for the values they instilled in me.

If you could go back in history and meet anyone, who would it be and why?

Winston Churchill. I firmly believe that our way of life in a democratic society was saved by his courage and determination when, in 1940, he became Prime Minister of Great Britain and led the fight against Nazi Germany alone. If you won $1 million, what would you do with it? I’d first talk with a financial consultant and figure out the tax situation, which would probably leave me with about half. Then with the $500,000 remaining, I’d save some, spend some, and share some. College expenses would take priority, and I would also love to help my parents with it. SLO LIFE