An early morning phone call transformed Celeste Peterson from a proud, devoted, and loving mother into the public voice for the legacy left by her 18-year-old daughter, Erin. Tragically, Erin was killed on April 16, 2007, at Virginia Tech, becoming a victim of the worst college tragedy in history. At the time, Erin was a freshman.

 

That same year, Celeste and her husband, Grafton, co-founded the Erin Peterson Fund (EPF), a non-profit organization dedicated to awarding scholarships and grants to students who share Erin’s dreams and aspirations. Little did they know, EPF would evolve into something much greater. Unfortunately, Grafton passed away and joined Erin in March 2016. Celeste continues to honor both their legacies through the fund.

 

Celeste was honored in 2008 as an outstanding leader by Fairfax County’s Business School Partnership and for her collaboration with Falls Church High School. She served on the Partners in Education Advisory board for Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) for three years, with her final year in 2008 as the co-chair. In 2011, she received the Friend of Education award from Phi Delta Kappa International, the premier professional association for educators. In 2012, she was honored with the Outstanding Educator award by Martin Luther King, Jr. Cultural Foundation Inc. Furthermore, Celeste was recognized by the Fairfax County NAACP with the 2015 Community Service Award and was honored on Centreville Day in 2022 as the Citizen of the Year. She was also honored again as Citizen of the Year, in 2023 by OKK Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. 

 

The Erin Peterson Fund (EPF) supports and facilitates the highly successful Young Men’s Leadership Group (YMLG) at Westfield High School and Stone Middle School. In 2019, YMLG at Westfield was recognized as the FCPS winner of the Team Excellence Award. Furthermore, EPF supports and facilitates the Girls Reaching for Academic and Cultural Excellence (GRACE) groups at Westfield High and Stone Middle School. EPF collaborates with Centreville Elementary School to provide winter coats and other necessary clothing items. Over the years, EPF has worked with Westfield and Stone to facilitate establishing food pantries. EPF has also developed a partnership with Forest Glen Senior Living Apartment Complex in Centreville, providing Thanksgiving dinner, lunch, energy snacks, and various activities organized by GRACE to entertain the residents. Since its inception, EPF has consistently provided over $10,000 annually for college scholarships.

 

Celeste, now retired, dedicated 36 years to an aerospace, intelligence, and defense company. Her responsibilities encompassed technical training and employee welfare. As the chair of the Health and Wellness Committee, under her leadership, the division achieved accolades for surpassing its health and wellness objectives. Additionally, Celeste served for a decade as a council member of the company’s regional diversity and inclusion program. During her career, she received the President’s Inclusion Award, recognizing her contributions to fostering and maintaining an inclusive and diverse workplace culture. Celeste’s professional and personal life aligns with her core values: family, friends, community, living a Godly life and a profound desire to empower young individuals to reach their full potential. Ultimately, at the heart of it all Celeste would say, I’m just a mother.