“A loyal and caring friend who always tries to improve his community.”

Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia

Fun fact about you: I love to travel a lot. I have been to over 56 countries so far.

Basic education and qualification: United States Military Academy at West Point, Bachelor of Science in Engineering

Where did you last work before enrolling in business school? I was an engineer officer in the U.S. Army at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. I worked as a platoon instructor and was responsible for training newly commissioned engineer officers before they joined their units.

Where did you do your internship in summer 2023? I interned at EY-Parthenon in the Atlanta office. I had a wonderful summer and enjoyed working with everyone. The company motto is “smart, kind, driven” and every person I interacted with fit that description. I’m looking forward to starting full-time soon after I graduate.

Where will you work after you graduate? I will work at EY-Parthenon as a consultant.

Community work and leadership roles in the business school: During my time at Scheller, I was actively involved in the Veterans, Consulting, and Technology clubs. As a freshman, I benefited greatly from the Consulting Club and enjoyed helping the new students as they began their search in the fall. I also served as a recruiting ambassador and often helped new students decide if an MBA and Scheller were the right path for them.

What academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of while studying at business school? I am most proud of my service as the Veterans Club President. When I began the process of getting discharged from the military, I reached out to the club presidents at each school. Their knowledge and guidance throughout the process really helped me as I looked at different schools’ programs and decided on my goals. I am very grateful for the help I received from each person and I am honored to help other military members make their transition into business America. As President, I have been able to be the face of an outstanding group of people and I was honored to be elected to this office.

What achievement in your professional career are you most proud of? As I look back on my career so far, I am most proud of my time as a platoon leader at Fort Stewart, Georgia. It was a great honor to lead 32 other soldiers during their deployment to the Middle East, and I learned an incredible amount about myself and leadership that year. Looking back, I developed my leadership style, confidence, and mental toughness that make me who I am today.

Why did you choose this business school? When I started the military, I knew I wanted to move to Atlanta for family reasons. As I began researching the different programs in the city, I felt a real connection with the Veterans in the Scheller program. As I learned more about the school, I knew Georgia Tech would be a good fit with my STEM background from West Point. I chose to specialize in business analytics and was grateful to be surrounded by top-notch faculty during the two years I was here.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? Looking back on my time at Scheller, Professor Wu was by far my favorite teacher. He brings his passion for technology and entrepreneurship to class every day. Professor Wu did a great job combining his background in e-commerce with Georgia Tech’s strengths in entrepreneurship and technology. He made every class fun and I genuinely looked forward to each lecture.

What was your favorite course during your MBA? I loved Professor Wu’s e-commerce class. It was a really interesting class that I didn’t know about before enrolling. Professor Wu does a great job teaching us about other companies and their growth stories. One of my favorite classes was his guest lecture series where notable alumni, most of whom had taken his class when they were at Scheller, spoke to us about their journey to scaling their business after graduation.

What MBA event or tradition did you enjoy most at your business school? I enjoy spending time with my classmates outside of school and nothing beats a good tailgate party in the fall. Our program combines the tailgate party with the evening and Executive MBA programs and often invites alumni who are still in Atlanta to join us for each game day. I enjoy having everyone together and getting to know new Scheller students before each football game.

Looking back on your MBA experience, what would you do differently and why? I would try to get out of my comfort zone more often. Business school is a great place to push those boundaries and if I could do it again, I would try to join more clubs and learn about different industries.

What is the biggest myth about your school? When I started the program, I was a little nervous about the class size of 80. Some of my fondest memories at West Point are the times I spent with my classmates. I knew it was important to me to have a diverse student body from different backgrounds when I looked at the different programs. I was worried I would miss that in a smaller class size. Looking back, I think my experience was unique and I became close to all of my classmates. By participating in a smaller program, I believe my relationship with my classmates is more authentic and I truly know every person in the program.

What did you like most about your business school city? I think the connection Georgia Tech has with all the companies in Atlanta is really special. It makes recruiting a little easier and exposes students to different industries during the recruiting process. Many of our graduates stay in Atlanta and previous classes are more than willing to call and talk about their work. I found this especially helpful when I was making a career change to learn about the day-to-day tasks in different industries.

What surprised you most about business school? I was surprised at how willing your classmates were to help you through the program. We are a very close-knit group and I think we all really cared about and celebrated each other’s successes.

Which MBA classmate do you admire the most? I admire my good friend and classmate Michael Veal. I think he is the nicest guy in our class and genuinely cares about each of his classmates. His empathy towards others is something I really admire and try to emulate. I have really enjoyed getting to know him over the past two years and I am excited that he is staying in Atlanta after he graduates.

What are the two most important things on your professional bucket list? My number one goal since I started my career has been to make every organization I work for better, and I want to continue doing that no matter where I work in the future. My second career goal is to start my own business one day. Entrepreneurship can be extremely rewarding, and I look forward to applying my knowledge from business school when I try something new.

What made Peter such a valuable addition to the 2024 vintage?

“Peter is a role model in community building. He passes the King’s test with flying colors: ‘What do you do for others?’ He does so much for others and does it extremely well. He is the catalyst everyone wants on their team or in their classroom.”

Dr. DJ Wu
Professor; Department Coordinator, Information Technology Management