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Terren Peterson

Terren Peterson

VP/platform engineering | Capital One | Class of 1992

If it happened to Terren Peterson ('92) at Illinois, odds are it happened at Everitt Lab

"I vividly remember walking up the stairs and through the halls of Everitt late at night to find out the answers to different problem sets that professors would post inside glass cases on the walls – complete with mathematical proofs and diagram sketches showing the full solution," says Capital One's vice president for platform engineering.

"Even if it was an area where I felt confident ahead of turning in my work, it was never confirmed until seeing the answers posted at Everitt. My reaction would be strong either way — elation that I got the answers correct or relief that the solution was now explained in thorough detail so I could transcribe into a notebook for further study ahead of the next quiz or exam. 

"The building itself was a cathedral to higher learning in engineering, complete with a plaque recognizing the work Nobel Laureate John Bardeen had done for launching the semi-conductor industry and who at one point taught classes in the building on that very subject. 

"No return trip to the campus is complete without stopping by to walk the halls and admire what is in the glass cases.”