CHS says Goodbye and Thank You to associate principal Kristen Peterson

Patrick Mochen
Onwardtrojans.com

Mrs. Kristen Peterson, the current associate principal at Chesterton High School, will be taking a job as the principal of Clark Middle School in St. John next school year. Mrs. Peterson has taken over various roles over her years in Chesterton, most recently including being a part of the internship program and a leader of the GOLD team Professional Learning Community.
Candy Wilson, assistant director of internships, first met Peterson when they played basketball against each other when Wilson was a CHS student and Peterson was a student at Valparaiso.
“She and I coached middle school track at Liberty together so it came full circle on that going from rivals to coaching together and then I coached basketball against her when she was at a couple different schools and I was at a couple different schools. We were varsity coaches against one another in girls basketball. Then we turn around and I end up interviewing here and she’s the associate principal so it's kind of crazy the circle of life we've worked together before.”
Her husband, Mark Peterson is the director of the internship program, and the team has built it to include 165 seniors this school year, growing from the five students participating in the 2019-2020 school year. The program has been in magazines and the Indiana Chamber of Commerce awarded Mr. Peterson with the high school Career Development Professional of the Year Award last school year. In 2024, Indiana Secretary of Education Dr. Kate Jenner recognized the CHS internship program for its amazing work.
“She’s one of the builders of this program when she was starting it out and it's been amazing what they’ve accomplished in such a short amount of time. I wish her the best. We’re going to miss her a lot here cause she has been such a cornerstone of this internship program. I know it's hard for her to leave that behind but she's leaving behind a legacy and she's moving on to hopefully make a new legacy somewhere else,” Wilson said.
As a leader of the Gold team (Growing Our Leaders Daily), she went over aspects of leadership with teachers and students, showing them how to navigate different scenarios and showing them that there are different types of leadership.
English teacher Jake Lukach said, “My experiences with her have taught me so much about leadership and organization and just being a good person. The opportunity to work side by side with Mrs. Peterson on something was an educational experience for me because I learned so much from the way she goes about her daily responsibilities and how she makes things work with time constraints and lack of supplies and whatever adversity she may face.”
Her colleagues and friends are both sad to see her go and excited for her new opportunity. Principal Brent Martinson shared the following quote about Mrs. Peterson: “Kristen Peterson has been an exceptional leader and an integral part of the Chesterton High School community. During her time as Associate Principal, she consistently demonstrated a deep commitment to students and staff, fostering a culture centered on excellence, respect, and continuous growth. Her ability to genuinely connect with students, while also supporting and empowering staff, has made a lasting impact on our school.On a personal level, Kristen is someone I trust and respect deeply. Her integrity, work ethic, and dedication have made her not only an outstanding colleague and friend but also a valued partner in leadership. It has truly been an honor to work alongside her. While we will greatly miss her at CHS, there is no doubt that she will continue to make a difference as Principal at Clark Middle School. They are gaining an exceptional leader, but more importantly a great person.”