2022-23 President's Scholars

Nathan Peterson

Rinehart Family President’s Scholar (Graduate)

Major: Landscape Arcithecture

College of Environmental Design 

Nathan Peterson’s plan to study music as an undergraduate quickly changed once he fell for the natural spaces in the Bay Area while attending San Francisco State University. Interning with the National Park Service and volunteering at urban gardens led to an internship working with youth education in Northern Thailand and a post-graduation job as a garden teacher with AmeriCorps. Being involved with the redesign of the school’s garden space sparked Nathan’s interest in landscape architecture because “I learned so much, from sourcing materials to building codes, and loved every second of it. I knew that I wanted to continue to design spaces for community use that are both inclusive and sustainable.” Nathan is proud to represent Cal Poly Pomona “because it felt like home from the second I set foot on campus. The first thing I did was buy my mom a “Cal Poly Mom” mug because we are both so thrilled about the future it will bring.” Nathan is grateful for his cohort professors who nurture professionalism as he works toward his goal to increase green spaces in urban areas.