Written by: Nahounha Alexandre
Peterly, 19, was born on June 26 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He permanently resides in Long Island, N.Y. and attends SUNY Oswego. He is a sophomore, double majoring in language international trade and economics with a French minor.
Educational views:
His favorite class so far this semester is his Honors 200 class, an introduction to the social sciences where he dissects certain societal arguments.
French professor, Lenuta Giukin, has had a very positive impact on Peterly’s educational endeavors here at SUNY Oswego since his freshman year. She is his favorite teacher so far in his undergraduate career.
Career views:
“After college I am looking towards attending law school. My main career goal is one that incorporates traveling with making a difference in the lives of others.”
Success views:
“I measure success by the sum of all the meaningful experiences I have lived through. I want to be able to look back on my life and have little to no regrets. I will know I have reached success when I am financially, spiritually,and emotionally stable.”
Religious views:
“I have been exposed to both the Catholic and Protestant denomination of Christianity. The clashing views of both have caused me a great deal of spiritual unrest. My religion, as of right now, is loving life and radiating that love in the world. Karma is real.”
Dating views:
“ I have no right to impose my personal views on the dating lives of others, but if it does not interfere with school work, and other responsibilities, it is OK for young adults to date.”
Politics: What are your thoughts on how the Obama administration handled the search and killing of Bin Laden and the disposal of his corpse at sea?
“I agree that Bin Laden’s death is justified due to the amount of grief he brought upon so many lives on September 11, 2001. However I believe that every man deserves a proper burial, so I’m not too OK with the fact that his body was dumped overboard.”
Sports:
“I’m not too athletic, but I play a few sports. I played tennis, as well as volleyball for most of my high school years. I am currently a member of the tennis club on my campus.”
Art:
Peterly enjoys many forms of art, music and dance to name a few. He enjoys a wide variety of genres and artists. African band P-Square’s Collabo and Indie band London Grammar’s Hey Now are good juxtaposing examples.
To end our interview I asked Peterly what his thoughts are on the cost of higher education in the United States:
“Honestly tuition and room and board should be more affordable. College freshmen should not be expected to worry about hefty student loan debt. Without factoring scholarships and grants, students who have the academic means to attend prestigious schools aren’t able to because they can’t afford to.
Who is your greatest inspiration?
“If I had to pick one person, I would say my mother, the strongest woman I have ever known. I’ve also been greatly inspired by my friends who graduated last year. Witnessing their success motivates me to keep going.”
Single or Dating?
“Single and not in a hurry to mingle.”