Scott Bernard Peterson, BA '91

Scott Bernard Peterson, BA '91, is the founder and President of Global Youth Justice, an organization dedicated to reducing juvenile crime around the world. Peterson also serves on the federal mentoring council at the Corporation for National and Community Service and is an expert consultant to the Interagency Panel on Juvenile Justice in Switzerland. He is a member of the National Association of Peer Programs Professionals and the Coalition for Juvenile Justice. A native of Colonie, NY, Peterson choose to attend UB because “it was and is among the best Universities in New York State and America” A place where there is so much opportunity, Peterson noted that “the people of Buffalo are so diverse it is like one big family.”

Alumni Q & A with Scott Bernard Peterson

1. What is your favorite Buffalo food/restaurant? Duff’s Chicken Wings – yum yum!

2. Describe Buffalo winters in three words: Bring it on!

3. What do you consider your greatest achievement?  My greatest achievement is my irrepressible approach to keep trying to make the world a better way in my own way and help others experience making a difference. I really enjoy them both and feel most fortunate I get to be me – it is hard these days and especially if you have responsibilities like children. We make so many choices in a day and just have to roll with life. The older I get the more I like that saying about life, "Life is not about finding yourself – it is about making yourself up."

4. Who is your favorite historical figure?  Since I was in 5th grade that person has remained the same – Harriet Tubman. I think it was a combination of her extraordinary contributions and courage and the way my 5th grade teacher talked about her in our history class.

5. Favorite UB class and/or professor? It must have been this class called “Human Sexuality”. There were about 500 of us in this huge hall  and they would show all kinds of STDs on a 100-foot screen. It was at 8 in the morning and it was a Thursday.  Wednesday night back in 1989-91 PJ Bottoms on Main Street had 10 cent, 10 ounce beers – so you can imagine all the tipsy people and all that follows with that. Some people had not even gone to bed and would show up for that class – hoping and praying they did not get an STD from the night before. UB deserves more credit for making so many of us abstinent!