More than Memories

Dr. Travis Peters ’06 gained much more through his experience at Mount Mercy than just a degree in secondary education mathematics.

From the community and his professors he learned the importance of helping others, whether it’s in his classroom with his students or out in the community completing service work.

After graduating from Mount Mercy, Peters began work on his master’s in mathematics at the University of Northern Iowa. He completed in 2008 and went on to Iowa State University to complete his PhD in mathematics in 2012. Peters began teaching as an assistant professor of mathematics at Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Missouri, shortly after graduating from ISU.

"What I enjoy most about my work is interacting with students and having the chance to inspire and challenge them to learn and grow as individuals," said Peters.

He follows the examples of devotion his professors showed him. Peters said their interest in his success and passion about their jobs helped inspire him to teach. He credits his career path, in large part, to his experiences on the Hill.

“John Robeson and the math faculty inspired me to pursue a career in teaching,” Peters said. “They were incredibly passionate about their field and devoted to helping students succeed. They demonstrated for me the importance of placing students first—students are the focus of their work."

Peters said Mount Mercy’s courses prepared him for graduate school, and believes the individual attention he received from his professors and their interest in his success gave him an edge over students from other schools.

The academic side of Mount Mercy wasn’t the only influential thing in Peters’ college experience. He said the sense of community Mount Mercy offers was also very influential in his development.

“Mount Mercy is an incredibly close-knit and caring community, something that not every school offers,” he said. “As a student at Mount Mercy, not only will you have an excellent academic experience, but you’ll have the chance to grow spiritually and personally and to develop lasting friendships.”

“Mount Mercy is an incredibly close-knit and caring community, something that not every school offers.”

While at Mount Mercy, Peters was involved in the College Pastoral Council (CPC). He gives campus ministry a lot of credit to helping him shape his spiritual development and CPC credit for helping him understand the value of service work.

“Finding a solid Christian community to connect with has been a priority for me in each of the places I’ve lived since graduating from Mount Mercy,” Peters said. "CPC also taught me the importance of completing service work in the spirit of the Sisters of Mercy. This is something that is still important to me today."

Peters went on many service trips, including three immersion trips. From these trips he learned quite a bit, but primarily one valuable lesson.

“These trips reinforced for me the importance of serving those in need and they helped to broaden my understanding of different cultures and regions of the country,” Peters said.

Dr. Travis Peters is currently the visiting Assistant Professor of Mathematics at College of St. Benedict & St. John’s University in St. Joseph, MN.