Peter W: Came for College, Stayed for the Lifestyle

Originally from northeast Virginia, Peter W was originally motivated to move to West Michigan for college; his school, Calvin University, has a great engineering program. Now, almost four years later, as Peter prepares to graduate college, he plans to stay in the region, a place he has come to call home.

During college, Peter made great use of his summers. Peter interned for DISHER—a Hello West Michigan member company—for two summers. Through his internship, he had the chance to participate in Intern Connect, our summer-long engagement program for interns. The program includes a half-day professional development conference and digital resources all summer long, which he feels benefited him greatly.

“I really appreciated the intentionality of the event in addressing concerns that people my age are thinking about (career development, networking, understanding tools like LinkedIn), said Peter. “It was also great to meet people in industries I would never come across on my own.”

During the event, he utilized his networking skills and connected with another intern. Since the event, they’ve connected twice to discuss their internship experiences and their different perspectives.

When asked why he is choosing to stay in West Michigan, Peter says it’s the strong friendships he has built while attending college here. He also loves the low cost of living and the beautiful West Michigan summers. Peter has also noticed there’s a great balance of work and play in the culture of West Michigan, which he sees as something positive.

Peter loves playing and singing country music. He gigs in the Grand Rapids area. On weekends, you can find him line-dancing at The Pipeline Smokehouse and Bar: a country line-dancing spot. When he’s not performing or dancing, you will find him somewhere outdoors, mountain biking, fishing, or hunting.

As for places his favorite spots for a bite to eat, Peter recommends Wolfgang’s in Eastown, The Old Goat in Alger Heights, Rose’s in Gaslight Village, or Social Misfits in downtown Grand Rapids. He also loves going ice skating in the winter.

Upon completion of his internship, Peter accepted a full-time position as a Concept Engineer at DISHER, which he will begin this August.

Peter found a community of friends and a variety of ways to play in West Michigan, and you can too. Interested in relocating to West Michigan? We provide resources, and on our website, you can find over 1000 linked resources for your help in the journey.

To make the most of your summer internship like Peter did, register for Intern Connect 2025. Learn more and register on our event website.