Tufts Top School for Peace Corps Volunteers

| February 6, 2013 | School Notebook | No Comments

Tufts University ranks No. 15 on Peace Corps’ 2013 Top Colleges for medium size schools. The annual list recognizes the highest volunteer-producing colleges and universities in the U.S. for small, medium, large and graduate institutions.

There are currently 26 undergraduate alumni from Tufts University serving overseas. Since the agency was founded in 1961, a total of 528 alumni have served in the Peace Corps.

Tufts alumni are currently serving as volunteers in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guyana, Jordan, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Peru, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania and Ukraine. They work in areas including education, environment, health and youth development.

“Every year, graduates of colleges and universities across the United States are making a difference in communities overseas through Peace Corps service,” said Peace Corps Acting Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet. “As a result of the top-notch education they receive, these graduates are well prepared for the challenge of international service. They become leaders in their host communities and carry the spirit of service and leadership back with them when they return home.”

“My favorite part of being a Peace Corps volunteer is knowing that I am pursuing my dreams,” said Allison Lawrence, a 2011 Tufts graduate who currently serves as a community health volunteer in Peru. “I can wake up every morning and, despite the challenges, be happy to know that what I am doing with my education is making a difference in my community.”

Other Boston area colleges and universities made the 2013 rankings, including Boston University, which is No. 19 nationally for large schools and Boston College, which earned the No. 6 spot on the medium size list.

Currently, more than 8,000 volunteers are working with communities in 76 host countries on projects related to agriculture, community economic development, education, environment, health and youth development.

During Peace Corps service, college graduates make a difference in communities overseas. Volunteers return home as global citizens with cross-cultural, leadership, language, teaching and community development skills that position them for advanced education and professional opportunities in today’s global job market. Ninety percent of volunteer positions require a bachelor’s degree. Americans with backgrounds in agriculture, environment, teaching English as a second language, and other technical or language skills related to Peace Corps assignment areas are encouraged to apply for service one year in advance of their target departure date. The next application deadline is February 28, 2013. Tufts students interested in learning more should contact Peace Corps recruiter Katrina Deutsch at kdeutsch@peacecorps.gov.

The Peace Corps ranks Top Colleges annually according to the size of the student body. Small schools have less than 5,000 undergraduates, medium-sized schools have between 5,000 and 15,000 undergraduates and large schools have more than 15,000 undergraduates. Rankings are calculated based on fiscal year 2012 data as of September 30, 2012 as self-reported by Peace Corps volunteers.

– Information from Tufts University