Petera was born and raised in New Orleans. Petera completed her undergraduate studies at Spelman College where she majored in chemistry and earned a Master of Public Health with a concentration in community health and health education at Tulane University. During her studies, Petera went to Taiwan where she studied the country’s health care system and approach to managing communicable diseases. She also has traveled to Haiti with Sante Total to assist in providing medical care to the community of Jacsonville. Before joining GHC, Petera worked as a program coordinator for NO/AIDS Task Force in her hometown and previously worked with a number of different organizations focused on improving wellness and health care access for marginalized populations. In her spare time, Petera enjoys practicing yoga.