Peter Lewis and his girlfriend pose with a bicycle before an impressive South American backdrop. Lewis has lived in Chile since 2004. (Photo courtesy of Peter Lewis)
Join our Mailing List!
Please click the link below to sign up for your community paper mailing list. Stay up to date with all the events going on in your community as well as the latest news.Sign Up Today!
Latin America Love Affair
Osawatomie native Peter Lewis’ passion for foreign cultures has led him to teach, study and create a business in Chile
By Dustin Kass, dustinKass@miconews.com
A high school class trip first sparked Peter Lewis’ interest in other cultures.
Lewis, an Osawatomie native, spent a week and a half in Mexico on a Spanish class trip while he was attending St. Paul’s Lutheran High School in Concordia, Mo.
That trip, as well as the exposure to other cultures he received from his high school classmates, has in part sparked Lewis’ course through life. It’s a course that has included visits to 23 countries and has led him to his current home in Santiago, Chile, where he has made his mark as a student, teacher and entrepreneur.
Lewis was born and raised in Osawatomie, and he attended a Lutheran grade school in Paola. His childhood days showed no indication of the jet-setting ways he would adopt later in life. Lewis describes his early years in Osawatomie as normal and uneventful, remembering himself as just another kid who went to school and played on sports teams coached by Ron Maring and Bob Cook.
His worldview expanded dramatically when he went to high school. The student body at St. Paul’s featured a level of diversity not found in Miami County. Lewis estimates that 30 to 40 percent of the student body was international students, and he recalls his parents inviting some of his foreign classmates to spend the holidays with the families if they could not go home.
“You were really exposed to a lot at school,” Lewis said. “My best friend my sophomore year was from Spain, and then, in my junior year, my best friend was from Egypt.”
It was also while in high school that Lewis traveled abroad for the first time — on the Spanish class trip to Mexico. He pegs that as one of two experiences that piqued his interest in other cultures. The other experience was a monthlong trip to Spain and Italy that Lewis took with his family in the summer of 1999 before he went off to college.
Looking for a wider scope of experience and wanting to get out of the Midwest, Lewis headed to Boston to attend Gordon College, where he later earned his bachelor of arts in Spanish and fine arts while minoring in sociology. He also stumbled into a love affair while spending two summers living in Costa Rica.
“That’s really when I fell in love with Latin America,” Lewis said.
That love drew him back a few years later. Lewis earned a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarship, and in 2004, he used it to continue his education in Chile. He’s called the country home ever since.
Lewis’ studies took a bit of a political turn, as he pursued his master’s degree in international relations at the University of Chile. One local legislator, though Lewis admits he is likely unaware of it, inspired this new political emphasis.
“I just remember meeting (Rep.) Jene Vickrey in grade school,” Lewis said of the Louisburg Republican. “It was a really big deal for me. It was kind of like meeting George Brett or something. I remember thinking how cool it was.”
Lewis will continue his educational pursuits this fall as he pursues his doctorate in political science at Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. He also is a professor at the Institute of International Studies at the University of Chile. Both of those elements figure heavily into his desired career path.
“I’d kind of like to do both, keep one foot in academics and the other in politics,” he said. “I love teaching. And it would be great to work and have influence on U.S. foreign policy.”
Lewis has more in his life than just academics, however. He describes his love as an “avid cyclist,” and he, with the help of his business partner, has translated that love into a tourism company, Picnic Sur Ltda, they founded in January. One of the company’s most popular attractions so far has been La Bicicleta Verde (The Green Bicycle), which offers bike tours of Santiago to tourists. The company also offers walking tours of Santiago, as well as orientation classes for business people and exchange students to help them understand Chilean culture.
The different tours hit on a point of emphasis for Lewis — increasing cultural understanding. It’s something he strives for with the business, in his academic pursuits, even when talking to friends and family who have never been to South America.
“I just think that’s one of our weaknesses,” he said. “People don’t understand.”
printable version
e-mail this story
Lewis, an Osawatomie native, spent a week and a half in Mexico on a Spanish class trip while he was attending St. Paul’s Lutheran High School in Concordia, Mo.
That trip, as well as the exposure to other cultures he received from his high school classmates, has in part sparked Lewis’ course through life. It’s a course that has included visits to 23 countries and has led him to his current home in Santiago, Chile, where he has made his mark as a student, teacher and entrepreneur.
Lewis was born and raised in Osawatomie, and he attended a Lutheran grade school in Paola. His childhood days showed no indication of the jet-setting ways he would adopt later in life. Lewis describes his early years in Osawatomie as normal and uneventful, remembering himself as just another kid who went to school and played on sports teams coached by Ron Maring and Bob Cook.
His worldview expanded dramatically when he went to high school. The student body at St. Paul’s featured a level of diversity not found in Miami County. Lewis estimates that 30 to 40 percent of the student body was international students, and he recalls his parents inviting some of his foreign classmates to spend the holidays with the families if they could not go home.
“You were really exposed to a lot at school,” Lewis said. “My best friend my sophomore year was from Spain, and then, in my junior year, my best friend was from Egypt.”
It was also while in high school that Lewis traveled abroad for the first time — on the Spanish class trip to Mexico. He pegs that as one of two experiences that piqued his interest in other cultures. The other experience was a monthlong trip to Spain and Italy that Lewis took with his family in the summer of 1999 before he went off to college.
Looking for a wider scope of experience and wanting to get out of the Midwest, Lewis headed to Boston to attend Gordon College, where he later earned his bachelor of arts in Spanish and fine arts while minoring in sociology. He also stumbled into a love affair while spending two summers living in Costa Rica.
“That’s really when I fell in love with Latin America,” Lewis said.
That love drew him back a few years later. Lewis earned a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarship, and in 2004, he used it to continue his education in Chile. He’s called the country home ever since.
Lewis’ studies took a bit of a political turn, as he pursued his master’s degree in international relations at the University of Chile. One local legislator, though Lewis admits he is likely unaware of it, inspired this new political emphasis.
“I just remember meeting (Rep.) Jene Vickrey in grade school,” Lewis said of the Louisburg Republican. “It was a really big deal for me. It was kind of like meeting George Brett or something. I remember thinking how cool it was.”
Lewis will continue his educational pursuits this fall as he pursues his doctorate in political science at Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. He also is a professor at the Institute of International Studies at the University of Chile. Both of those elements figure heavily into his desired career path.
“I’d kind of like to do both, keep one foot in academics and the other in politics,” he said. “I love teaching. And it would be great to work and have influence on U.S. foreign policy.”
Lewis has more in his life than just academics, however. He describes his love as an “avid cyclist,” and he, with the help of his business partner, has translated that love into a tourism company, Picnic Sur Ltda, they founded in January. One of the company’s most popular attractions so far has been La Bicicleta Verde (The Green Bicycle), which offers bike tours of Santiago to tourists. The company also offers walking tours of Santiago, as well as orientation classes for business people and exchange students to help them understand Chilean culture.
The different tours hit on a point of emphasis for Lewis — increasing cultural understanding. It’s something he strives for with the business, in his academic pursuits, even when talking to friends and family who have never been to South America.
“I just think that’s one of our weaknesses,” he said. “People don’t understand.”
Comments on "Latin America Love Affair"
Comments are limited to 200 words or less.Jene Vickrey wrote on May 21, 2008 10:10 PM:
" Peter,
You are making a difference in other peoples lives. We are proud that you are from Osawatomie, Kansas and know that you will represent us well as you continue to travel and teach. Best wishes, your hard work will bring you success. "
You are making a difference in other peoples lives. We are proud that you are from Osawatomie, Kansas and know that you will represent us well as you continue to travel and teach. Best wishes, your hard work will bring you success. "
Lisa Schriefer wrote on May 20, 2008 12:59 PM:
" Peter,
Each article I read about you justgets better and better! Thank you for your emphasis on cultural understanding. Cultural awareness is not enough.
Sincerely,
Lisa Schriefer "
Each article I read about you justgets better and better! Thank you for your emphasis on cultural understanding. Cultural awareness is not enough.
Sincerely,
Lisa Schriefer "
pmhpitt.edu wrote on May 16, 2008 6:57 AM:
" Very nice Peter! I especially like the idea of expanding cultural understanding....something I strive to do everyday in the classroom and with our students whom I'm trying to get to go abroad...with more success this year, 12 this summer alone!
"
"