°®°®Ö±²„ World News
°®°®Ö±²„ Among Top Schools for Producing Peace Corps Volunteers
More than 545 °®°®Ö±²„ alumni have served abroad in the Peace Corps since the program's inception in 1961.
Tampa, Fla. (Feb. 26, 2020) ā The °®°®Ö±²„ is one of the nationās top institutions for producing Peace Corps volunteers, according to new rankings released today. °®°®Ö±²„ is ranked No. 2 for total graduate volunteers and No. 25 among undergraduate volunteers for large schools, according to the Peace Corps. Currently, there are 38 °®°®Ö±²„ students volunteering in countries around the world. Since the agencyās founding in 1961, more than 545 alumni from °®°®Ö±²„ have served abroad as Peace Corps volunteers.
°®°®Ö±²„ graduates highly skilled, globally competent students who have access to a robust selection of intercultural programs on campus and a diverse portfolio of international experiences abroad. Upon graduation, °®°®Ö±²„ students are competitive candidates for careers in international development and diplomacy, including the U.S. Peace Corps.
°®°®Ö±²„ is home to five Peace Corps Coverdell Fellowship programs for graduate students and a Peace Corps Prep (PC Prep) Program designed for undergraduate students. The °®°®Ö±²„ PC Prep Program allows students to prepare for service in the Peace Corps through participation in globalized curricular and co-curricular offerings, including leadership training, foreign language acquisition and intercultural skill building.
āPeace Corps Prep is a critical asset to students seeking to solve todayās grand challengesā notes Dr. Alexxis Avalon, Peace Corps Prep coordinator in °®°®Ö±²„ World. ā°®°®Ö±²„ is extremely proud of our global citizens who contribute to the betterment of society through their service in Peace Corps.ā
One such student, Gabriela Cruz, completed her degree at °®°®Ö±²„ in 2019 and is currently serving as a Peace Corps community health facilitator in Peru. Gabriella credits the Peace Corps Prep program for preparing her for success in her current role. As a volunteer she highlights āthe value of different perspectives in finding solutions to issues -- such as health disparities -- that affect all of us.ā
The State of Florida currently has 341 volunteers serving worldwide, ranking it No. 5 among states across the country. āTop producers are institutions that emphasize global citizenship and service-minded students,ā said Peace Corps Director Jody Olsen. āI am excited to know the graduates coming from Peace Corpsā Top Colleges are using their skills to make a positive impact on their communities at home and abroad.ā
The Peace Corps ranks its top volunteer-producing colleges and universities annually according to the size of the student body. View the complete 2020 rankings of the top 25 schools in each category .
*Rankings are calculated based on fiscal year 2019 data as of September 30, 2019, as self-reported by Peace Corps volunteers.