Debbie '78 and Dean Peterson '78 in Istanbul.
By Veronica Wagstaff ’26
Sometimes the most transformative journeys begin by chance. For alumnus Dean Peterson, it was a hitchhiker his family picked up on the side of the road in Vermont that introduced his family to what was then Franklin College. That brief conversation sparked the curiosity of his older sister, who enrolled and later graduated from Franklin. Inspired by her experience, and with a desire for adventure, Dean followed her path and enrolled himself.
During his first semester, Dean lived in student housing on Franklin’s former campus, learning independence the hard way. But the limitations of student life also motivated him to seek something deeper. Determined to learn Italian and better understand the culture around him, he arranged to live with a local family for his second semester and entire second year. Living with an Italian-German family transformed his experience. Immersed in daily life, shared meals, and constant conversation, Dean gained conversational fluency and a sense of belonging that extended far beyond the classroom.
Academic travel further shaped Dean’s worldview. Trips to Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Austria, and later Poland, Israel, and the Soviet Union exposed him to different cultures and worldviews. In particular, he remembers his trips behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War, and how the experience felt starkly different from life in the West at the time.
Franklin is also where Dean met his future wife, Debbie Dixson ’78, then a fellow student. Introduced through mutual acquaintances, their meeting on campus marked the beginning of a lifelong partnership.
After completing his studies, Dean went on to earn a degree at Indiana University. He explored multiple careers after graduation; first as a U.S. Navy officer, then into financial services, and finally into the U.S. Foreign Service, a role that brought him full circle to international work. Over the course of his career, Dean traveled to more than 70 countries and spent over a decade serving abroad. He retired from the Foreign Service in 2022, but his curiosity about the world remains undiminished.
Looking back, Dean sees his Franklin experience as foundational and as the most distinctive educational experience of his life, one that broadened his worldview and expanded his sense of what was possible. For today’s graduates, his advice is to continue building skills, stay curious, and find ways to connect your passions to the work you do. He notes that while the world has changed dramatically since his time at Franklin, the value of deep cultural immersion remains as important as ever.