Returned missionary fulfills humanitarian yearnings as pain reliever

Ask Lt. Nick Peterson how his first humanitarian mission in the Navy went, and he might say it was like pulling teeth.

In other words, it was routine for Peterson, a dental officer who deployed to Cambodia in mid-August with a detachment from Marine Wing Support Squadron 172.

Routine, not because dental care is his job, but because the 31-year-old Salt Lake City native is, in the truest sense of the word, a humanitarian.

A quick look at his resume reveals a couple of obvious points that qualify him for the title: a two-year stint between high school and college as a Mormon missionary in Guatemala, and five trips to the Caribbean during dental school as a student leader for the Dominican Republic Humanitarian Project.

What his resume doesnt show is exactly how deep his passion for helping people goes, or for that matter, how deeply passionate he is in general. Whether hes discussing photography, his wife and three boys, his love for Spanish, basketball, his faith, serving others, dentistry, or why Macintosh computers are better than PCs, he often speaks with a hint of urgency, and his bright, blue eyes widen.

Im very passionate, he says. Almost obsessive compulsive. When I want to do something or I enjoy something, Im almostconsumed by it. Ive always enjoyed serving people and causes. I like helping and making people happy.

That consuming passion has been a driving characteristic in Petersons life. He says he grew up in Utah in kind of a bubble, referring to his privileged American middle-class lifestyle. At 19, he took the first step to burst that bubble by volunteering for his church mission, a common step for practicing Mormons, who work in pairs and have to fund their own missions.

Youre on your own, and its very militaristic, Peterson said. Youre on the honor system. Youre preaching the gospel, but youre also there to serve in whatever capacity you can and help people.

In Guatemala, he says, he gained a great appreciation for Latin American culture, the Spanish language and cultural diversity in general.

The dental path came about from me seeing other medical professionals helping people in Guatemala, he said. I saw it as an opportunity to use my passion for Spanish and the people.

After Guatemala, the next step was college. Working as a tutor and teaching English as a second language to high school students, he put himself through the University of Utah, graduating with a bachelors degree in Spanish in 2001.