I grew up and received my public school education right here in the 26th District. My family flower shop, Flowers By Peter, has been servicing the community for over fifty years. It’s there that I learned firsthand the impact that public service and local legislation have on the working class people of New York. After high school I was blessed enough to receive several scholarships and to be granted the Artistic Leadership Award for Community Service. This allowed me to attend the University of Michigan for my undergraduate education and George Washington University for my Masters. After my schooling I became a member of the professional stage actors union and primarily worked on Shakespeare productions and educational theatre. The theater business by its own nature is very collaborative (much like legislating); I was fortunate to learn not only how to work well under pressure and in the public eye, but other valuable lessons on compromise and adaptability. These are the qualities I want to bring to Albany. Currently, I make a living as a theater and humanities professor here in Queens as well as a researcher and writer.
