Mark Peterson

Mark Peterson BA ’83 reminds himself every morning how blessed he is to enjoy early retirement, which means lots of time for family, friends, travel to Germany, and volunteering in Seattle. He is very excited about this year’s Alumni Weekend and hopes to see many classmates in June. Peterson is determined to set foot in China, Israel, Kenya, and Japan before January 1, 2020.

Mark Peterson BA ’83 completed a master’s degree in Soviet history at the University of Washington in 1986. That same year, he returned to Moscow, where he met his future wife, Iris, a citizen of East Germany. Their son, Lukas, was born in 1995. From 1989 to 2016, he worked for the U.S. Customs Service. Since 2016, he has been volunteering as chair of Mwanzo Proud Farmers, a nonprofit serving western Kenya.