Brigham Young University student Abe Peterson had no idea what he wanted to study. Discarding the major he'd been in for two years, he decided that any career that allowed him to serve would be the best way to move forward.
“I had a reality check,” Peterson says. Originally studying construction management at BYU–Idaho, he thought he was on track for his future career path. But he changed his mind after working a few jobs in the field, leading him to reassess his options.
“The Army was always something that was in my back pocket,” he says, recalling his childhood years spent looking up to his father, who served all over the country. “I just had a shaky relationship with moving around a lot,” he explains, which is why he spent nearly two years exploring his options in Idaho before sincerely considering ROTC as his next step.
Peterson created a mental list of three goals for his future career, and the first was straightforward: “I needed to be physically active,” he says. And although initially just a curiosity, his next goal—attending law school—became his focus after his uncles described their experience in the profession. With a new career path in mind, he added one more preference to the list: “I wanted to go to BYU in Provo.”
With his transfer accepted, Peterson moved to Provo, began studying psychology, enlisted in the Army National Guard, and joined BYU’s Army ROTC. His reasoning, he admits, wasn’t anything extravagant: The military encourages an active lifestyle, and he could meet his goals by serving as a lawyer for the Army. “I don’t necessarily love the law,” Peterson explains, “but I love helping people, and I love using the law to help people.”
What began as a practical step toward service evolved into an ongoing growth opportunity for Peterson. “Getting out of your comfort zone is something ROTC pushes people to do,” he acknowledges, citing the early mornings and endurance competitions—including the Ranger Challenge, the varsity-level sport of Army ROTC.
Ranger Challenge required months of preparation, Peterson describes, as their team optimized its lineup by assigning cadets to fulfill each task. He adds that the significance of the competition is the unity that comes with training and competing in smaller ROTC groups. “Army culture is built around a team. When we fail, our team is there to support us. The Ranger Challenge is successful because of the team cohesion—not an individual.”
And team leadership, Peterson says, means being prepared to make difficult decisions, a mindset that he acknowledges helped him first commit to the Army ROTC. And now, after completing the Army’s 10-week paralegal training, he says he hopes to apply the same approach when he serves as an army lawyer.
"When I get overwhelmed or something seems like it’s going to be hard, I remind myself that I’ve done harder,” he says. Moving forward, he hopes to work as a lawyer for enlisted personnel: “They have to do their job, yes, and they have to maintain high standards—but I want to make sure they have the support and balanced workload they need, too.”
Whether navigating team dynamics or planning a career, he has the same objective: “Help people create a path forward.”