One of the best things about teaching at North Park, according to Professor Jon Peterson, is learning from students who grew up in Chicago.
“They bring a wealth of stories from their neighborhoods,” said Peterson, a professor of politics and government. “They know what the alderman is doing and how it affects them because so many of them work in their schools and churches and have worked on campaigns as election judges or volunteers.”
A native of Minnesota, Peterson graduated from Wheaton College in 1994 with a degree in political science, then worked for Minnesota Republican Gil Gutknecht’s House of Representatives campaign bid. When Gutknecht won, Peterson moved to Washington, D.C., planning to stay for just nine months. He ended up staying for almost four years.
In 1998, he moved to St. Paul, Minnesota, to work for the state legislature but quickly decided a political career was not for him. During graduate school at the University of Minnesota, he realized he wanted to stay in the Midwest to teach.
“My highest priority was to teach in a place where I could interject my Christian faith,” said Peterson. “And my dissertation advisor told me Chicago was the best place to study politics outside of D.C.”
The city provides the perfect setting for his Catalyst classes, especially the “Chicago Politics” class offered every few years. Once, his class toured the 39th Ward, including a stop for lunch at legendary drive-in Superdawg and a chat with former Alderman Margaret Laurino.
Another trip took them to a City Council meeting at City Hall and a visit to the Chicago History Museum. Peterson said many of his students want to make a difference in the world, and he stresses the importance of learning about government, even if they never plan to run for office.
“I tell them, wherever you want to make a difference, you’re going to run into a government,” Peterson said. “Even if you want to change something through a community organization, you can’t do it without dealing with the government, so learn how the system works.”