Jesuit High School prides itself in educating the whole person into a Man for Others. Senior Will Peterson is a good example of both a student-athlete and a Man for Others. He embodies the principle of Jesuit through his balance of skill in the pool and academic prowess in the classroom.

“Will Peterson possesses astronomical athletic ability, but what defines him as a great athlete is his consistent exuberance in tandem with a pervasive work ethic,” senior water polo player Greg Devine said.

The result of Will’s work ethic can be seen in his ability to dominate in the pool. Standing in at 6-foot-4 and weighing in at 200 pounds, Will is a force to be reckoned with. With three years of Varsity Water Polo under his belt, Will has proven that he is a well rounded player, both defensively and offensively.  “I expect to win. I feel that we had a rough start [this season], but when we play as a team, we are tough to beat,” Will said.

Throughout his high school career, Will has taken 336 shots on goal, making 182 of those shots. He has also stolen the ball a total of 93 times and has 100 assists, earning him a spot on the First Team All Section 2014. Will is a player who likes to involve others in the game instead of taking the spotlight for himself.

“He’s a great player. He’s a key defender and has the second most goals on the team. [He] passes the ball around and works for other people,” senior water polo player Ed Smet said.

Will has taken the less experienced players under his belt and helped them to grow in their abilities, a unique attribute to his personality. “Even though I’ve only played with him for 2 months, I can already tell he’s a great team leader and has helped me out a lot,” said freshman Luke Chandler, a Varsity Water Polo player.

Will is also strong intellectually, showing his strength in the classroom as well as the pool. Will was awarded the title of Academic All-American for water polo for the 2012-2013 season. This award is given to a player that maintains a 3.6 or higher GPA, and shows tremendous athletic ability.

Adding to his sports and athletics, Will also holds the title of Head Cheerleader at Jesuit. As Head Cheerleader, he has led the Galley Crew through tense matches, like when the football team played De La Salle High School, and through triumphant victories, such as Holy Bowl against Christian Brothers High School. Will brings energy to the Galley Crew and his inviting personality leads others to join in cheering on our fellow Marauders.

“I want to expand the sports that we attend. There are guys that deserve recognition for what they do that aren’t necessarily in the spotlight,” Will said.

Will is hoping to continue the hard work that he has put into Jesuit during his four years as a Marauder.

“I’ve always known I was going to Jesuit since 1st grade. There wasn’t really any other choices,” said Will. “Right now my number one [college] is Princeton, followed by UCSB and Pepperdine. I definitely plan on college water polo and anything after that would be awesome.”

Jesuit is a stand out school to many middle schools. The push for a balance between sports and education, along with the rigor of a college preparatory high school, is very appealing. Jesuit brings students of all backgrounds together and pushes them to do their best and to go as far as they can, similar to Will.

Always willing to help someone in need, Will Peterson is a Man for Others. Along with being a strong student-athlete, Will is a true image of how Jesuit High School looks to develop its student’s talents.