Noel Peterson was born in Hong Kong on 21 June 1987 to two missionary pastors. He went to a local kindergarten, where he learned Cantonese, but forgot most of it shortly after beginning attendance at an international primary school at which only English was spoken. He lived in Hong Kong until graduating secondary school in 2005. He has been enrolled at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, since then, and is currently a senior. He will be graduating with a B.A. in Mathematics, with concentrations in Statistics and Environmental Studies.

After graduating, he currently plans to go to graduate school for a master's degree in GIS, although he does not know which university he will attend. Ever the idealist, he would like to use this degree to somehow help the world in its struggle against global warming.