Katie Meredith
From business school in Seattle to discipleship training in Germany, alumnus Jeffrey Peterson (’14) has come full circle in his faith and newfound passion helping serve the homeless community.
A second-generation BCS student, Jeffrey Peterson started attending BCS in 6th grade at our Three Points Campus. His mom, Sue Peterson (’83, maiden name Hunt), recalled the experience she had at Bellevue Christian and wanted to give the same to her son.
In high school, Peterson remembers having math and physics with Mr. Wishart and the unique impact of his approach. Mr. Wishart’s excitement and passion for math were infectious. He inspired students to engage more deeply. Peterson said, “Mr. Wishart encouraged me to dig deep and find solutions to the problems I was facing in math, even if they were hard.”
In addition to STEM classes with Mr. Wishart, Peterson recalls great memories in English class with Ms. Postma. He appreciated the way she approached challenging subjects, such as Shakespeare’s Hamlet, making them accessible for high school students.
In a parent teacher conference with Ms. Postma, he remembers she recognized his emerging leadership skills. Peterson said, “I wasn’t an AP student, yet she saw the value in affirming the strengths she saw in me. At BCS, I had teachers who would recognize strengths in students and call them to attention. There was an aspect of being “seen” – feeling valued for who you are and for your gifts.”
After graduating from BCS, Peterson went to Seattle Pacific University and earned a bachelor’s degree in Business. After SPU, he spent a year at a discipleship school in Germany. There, he grew in his faith and knowledge of God, building on a foundation that was established in his early years.
“My faith was established at BCS – being able to talk openly about faith with friends and teachers was really important for me. My teachers were such a positive influence. You could tell they were truly living out their faith. You could just see it.”
When Peterson returned to the U.S., he accepted a position at Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission as their Data and Analytics Coordinator. He helps implement and manage a database that tracks the individuals that are served by UGM.
Before he joined the Mission, few people used and truly understood their database. By leading training sessions and creating usage guides, Peterson has increased proper usage across the organization, amplifying the Mission’s vision of positive community impact.
Learn more about Union Gospel Mission: https://www.ugm.org/