Spring — 2006

JR Petteys

International Business

“I had an Economics class with Harry Gill, and he’s just amazing. He really helped me to see the ‘Big Picture’ of the world.”

“What I want to do is work within the global community on environmental and economic projects,” says JR Petteys, now in his second year at SMC. “I’ve been to a lot of places in the world—across Europe and to Egypt and other parts of North Africa—and I’ve seen a lot of poor regions that just don’t have to be that way. It’s just that a lot of people in these areas have never received a proper education to help them live otherwise,” JR continues. “So I’d like to help raise the living standards of Third World countries, and help control hunger and the outbreak of disease. All the fun stuff!”

A native of New York State, JR came out to LA “to get as far away from home as I could!” he says with a laugh. “And I found SMC to be an excellent… what you might call a ‘starter school.’ It’s a great college to transfer from, you save a ton of money, and you meet some really great people. And it was a very good move for me to come out here, because I have to do my own grocery shopping, laundry, and study. And I like having to rely on myself.”

Thrashing around in the local surfing scene whenever he can, JR also recommends putting a bit of a ‘fun quotient’ into studying, as well as the hard work. “I know you have to take all the required classes for your major,” he says, “but I think it’s also a good idea to expand your vistas a little and take something new and different. A class like that might just lead you far away from the beaten path.” But wherever JR ends up in this wide world, he’s determined to live by the following creed: “You can never quit, and you always have to be willing to outwork the next guy. That’s always the secret.”

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