“Education is the way to move mountains, to build bridges, to change the world. Education is the path to the future. I believe that education is indeed freedom.”

— Oprah Winfrey

Othamian Peterson became the Principal of Groves High School in the summer of 2024. His professional journey began as an English and Social Studies teacher at Groves High School. During this time, Othamian coached various sports and led school-wide initiatives on character education and culturally responsive teaching. After seven years of teaching, Othamian spent three years as Dean of Students at Groves and one year as an Assistant Principal at Seaholm before returning to Groves as an Assistant Principal in 2012.

Principal Peterson holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and a Master of Education with a Teaching Certification from the same institution. He also has a Master of Arts in Education with a focus on K-12 Educational Administration from Concordia University in Ann Arbor. He enjoys reading and spending time with his wife and four children, three of whom are current students in the Birmingham Public Schools. Groves High School has been a special place for Principal Peterson for over 20 years, and he is excited and humbled to lead such a wonderful school.