Pete Zimmerman

Age: 27 Location: Rockford, IL Occupation: Human Resources Representative Luxury Item: Rubix Cube

"Hanging out with the wrong crowd has always been my schtique," he says with a smile. In his sophomore year, Pete took part in a life changing event. "I was kicked out of my highschool because me and a couple of buddies of mine stole a car out of the student parking lot. We got caught. Were arrested for Grand Theft Auto and although charges weren't pressed, I spent a short time in a Juvenile Corrections Facility," laughs, then continues, "No more time in the clink for me. That was scary enough for me to straighten up my act!"

His parents then forced him to attend a Catholic High School, where things began to turn around for him. Eventually, he warmed up to the thought of going to school and used his second chance as best as he could when he graduated.

Upon graduating highschool, he went to Illinois State University where he double majored in Public Relations and Writing. After receiving two Bachelor's Degrees in December of 1999, Pete was offered a position at State Farm Insurance as an Auto Claim Representative and worked in that department for nearly 2 years.

In December of 2001, he left State Farm Insurance to pursue his Master's Degree in Communications at Illinois State University, where he also taught Communications 110 as a Graduate Assistant, and eventually earned his Master's Degree in December of 2002.

Immediately after Graduate School, Pete took part in the lost season of Survivor : Tonga, which is something the casting department from Survivor : Canary Islands were not aware of because throughout the duration of the casting process, he referred to himself as "Zim", short for Pete Zimmerman. "I changed my last name to get my foot in the door, that's it. Nothing strategic about it," he says when asked of his intentions. "And it worked," he says as he winks.

A strange twinkle hits Pete's eyes when asked about his experience there. Looking up to the ceiling, he laughs then answers, "I got my ass handed to me. I have no one to blame but myself. I'd like to think that I'm better than what I showed people over there. In fact, I know I'm better than that. Now, it's time to either put up or shut up...and I don't plan on ever shutting up."

Mind fried and pocket book empty from school and his fruitless times in Tonga, Pete decided to throw himself into the fire upon receiving his Master's to make ends meet and took up various jobs to pay the bills, until eventually settling in at a utility company where he was hired as a Human Resources Representative.

Shaking his head, then smiling, Pete says, "I hate my f***ing job. But it's a beautiful thing to get paid to tell people that something is going to happen, when in my mind, I know that there isn't a chance of it ever coming to fruition. I get paid to sell a nickel for a dollar. Hopefully, that will help me out this time."

Well travelled, Pete has been to Italy, France, Spain, Lithuania, Thailand, Vietnam and Hong Kong and Mexico, he has always had a zest for something unique and different from the norm. While at State Farm, for 5 months he volunteered to work in the Catastrophe Unit and helped not only those in the U.S., but those in various countries in an extreme time of need. At the same time he began to study foreign language (Spanish, Italian, Lithuanian) out of both necessity and interest.