By: Michaela Etienne
Who is Paul Peters? Mr. Peters is a dual citizen of Canada and the United States. He was born in Ontario, Canada. He spent most of his childhood moving around to different schools because his father was always getting new jobs. One of the many places he has lived in is the city of Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada. Mr. Peters was a high school dropout who decided to get his GED after attending a party. At the party, he was informed that he could get his GED and could enroll in a community college. After getting his GED, he attended 3 different colleges and decided to be a teacher because “he wanted to be the teacher that [he] never had.” Mr. Peters decided to major in history after watching the movie Dead Poets Society, and also history is one of his loves. He loves history because he’s a curious man by nature, and history constantly teaches him new things. Being a teacher wasn’t Mr. Peters first choice. When he was in grade school he originally wanted to be an astronaut, but he had obstacles in his way –for instance, he has a fear of heights and water.
What’s the most memorable moment that you have experienced at Apopka High School?
Oh one…I don’t know if I have just one, but when I was teacher of the year in 2010 at graduation they gave me an honorary Apopka High School diploma since I actually don’t have a diploma. I have a GED. So I’m technically an honorary Blue Darter. I’ve got the diploma at home that says Apopka High School and my name is on it
What is SGA?
It’s the Student Government Association at school. We have a lot of different functions, Homecoming being the primary one. We split that duty with junior class, who does prom. We do a lot of community service projects, one being Dewey’s Holiday Week. That’s when we get toys for the preschoolers and kindergartners at Phyllis Wheatley Elementary School. We handle everything dealing with Homecoming, from the dance, to the Powderpuff game. We do a talent show. There are all kinds of different things we do. We raise money for MDA, Pasta for Pennies, we’re apart of Relay for Life–basically anything the school asks us to do, we’re pretty much there for them. We’re trying to keep a big presence on campus and whatever we can do to help, but generally to do whatever we can to promote the student body and school spirit.
When did you start being the sponsor of SGA?
I was asked to do it a year after I was here. Mainly because Mr. Floyd was used to working with me at Gotha Middle School and I had a lot of responsibilities, so he knew that I could handle it, but it was the 2005 – 2006 school year.
Why sponsor SGA?
I thought it would be interesting. I thought it would be a challenge, and SGA was very different from when I first started. It was only one class, it really was kind of a low organization on the totem pole here at school, and it kind of changed. It’s a lot bigger than it actually used to be. We do a lot more things, we’re a lot more organized, and have more classes. It’s a challenge, just like coming to this building here..you know..the walls…it’s just a challenge.
How do you fit SGA into your busy schedule?
I haven’t figured that out yet. I don’t have a life, that’s how I fit it in. I literally go home, I eat…like right now, that’s all I’m doing now. Even on the weekends I’m working. I go home, I eat, I go work on some stuff, I go to bed, and I’m here again.
And then you have your lemonade too.
Yeah my lemonade, I love good lemonade.
What skills learned from SGA can you use in the real world?
Me, I’ve learned nothing… no, uhh..I think it gives students a sense of real responsibility and that there’s things that are going to be put on their plates. If they don’t get it done, then it backfires and it’s all on them. And I think in a little way I give them a little taste of what it’s like to have that kind of pressure, more than just classes where work is due, but events aren’t going to happen if they don’t do what they need to do. That this is going to be a very public failure that’s on them. A sense of responsibility but also appreciation for those people that have to carry out responsibilities.
How would you best describe the SGA members this year?
Me, I’ve always been really lucky. There’s been very few years where it wasn’t, you know, going as well as I expected. But the last couple of years I’ve just been really lucky. The students I have are the best, they really are. Seriously, with the amount of stress and work I have to do, other than the love of the school, if it wasn’t for the types of students I have in SGA, I probably wouldn’t do it.