Senior Spotlight: How Pete King Found New Passions in Comedy and the Outdoors

This piece is part of our Senior Stories series, in which we highlight GU students throughout the year.

Name: Pete King
Major: Environmental Studies
Hometown: Seattle, Washington

Pete King had no idea what to expect when he came to Gonzaga in 2021. Like many, he did not have a plan for how college would go.

“I did not come into college with a super-strong idea of what I wanted to do after it, or what person I wanted to be in it,” King says.

Now a senior, King has learned what GU had in store for him, and it was an unpredictable journey. King entered GU as an economics major, a field of study he figured would lead to good opportunities after college. He soon learned that he did not enjoy economics and felt the need to make a switch. Luckily, another avenue piqued his interest: the outdoors.

“I did not consider the fact that environmental studies were an option, I figured you would have to be a biologist or chemist,” says King.

As he reminisced about his interest in the outdoors back in high school and about the piece he wrote for his application to GU, a theme emerged.

“The college essay I wrote was very much an environmental studies essay about the Civilian Conservation Corps and the purpose of service and working outdoors,” says King.

That is why King switched to environmental studies after his first year. It was a major he had a passion for, even if he didn’t realize its potential as a high school applicant. Having grown up camping, skiing and bike touring, he wants to be a part of what makes those activities possible for other people.

As he prepares to graduate, King now has an idea of where he wants this passion to take him.

“The track I would like to aim for is government work, working on public lands, whether that be [with the] Forest Service or Fish and Wildlife,” says King of two federal agencies where his love of the outdoors could become a career.

King’s interest in the U.S. Forest Service was inspired by wildfires that affected the forests of his youth.

GU helped guide King to a rewarding career goal, but it also led him onto the stage. He got involved with comedy clubs on campus during his first year and has written comedy scripts for Boone Street Hooligans and performed for GUTS [Gonzaga University Theatre Sports, aka GU’s improv-comedy troupe].

His entree into comedy came through his work study job for the theatre department where he built sets. He liked the vibe created by students in this setting, leading him to join in at the end of his first year.

“These are really funny people, and this is a cool thing on campus,” says King. “The broadness of the community and the opportunities it gives people is a favorite aspect for me.”

King thinks script writing clicks for him more than acting. His favorite piece, “The Good Deal,” is a comedy about a man who got as many flu shots as he could for grocery deals. “I am quite fond of making people make a mess, having actors spit things onstage. That element is fun,” King says. He encourages any student interested to take on the challenge of comedy.

“Both GUTS and Boone are environments of people who are super welcoming and happy to bring on new people,” says King. The performing arts can be a stressful environment for newcomers and King acknowledges that. “Do not concern yourself with your ability to perform. It is a growing process, it is a lot to put yourself out there.”

King has learned a lot during his four years at GU. What he learned about himself might be even a bigger takeaway than anything gleaned in the classroom.

“The way I perceive myself has changed for the better, I am a lot more confident in myself,” says King.