DALLAS, January 25, 2012 – In the last year the University of Denver moved up from ninth to third on the list of graduate schools with the highest number of Peace Corps volunteers.
There are currently 16 graduate students serving overseas as part of a partnership between the Josef Korbel School of International Studies and the Peace Corps Master’s International program.
“Colleges and universities prepare thousands of talented undergraduate and graduate alumni for Peace Corps service every year,” said Peace Corps Director Aaron S. Williams (Dominican Republic, 1967-1970). “These alumni go on to serve as Peace Corps volunteers, applying the skills and knowledge they acquired during their studies to promote world peace and friendship and improve the lives of people around the world. Every day, volunteers make countless contributions to projects in agriculture, education, the environment, health and HIV/AIDS education and prevention, small business development, and youth development. I would like to extend my gratitude to all colleges and universities for their continued support of the Peace Corps and public service.”
The Master’s International program allows students the opportunity to integrate a master's degree with overseas service. Students who serve in Peace Corps while pursuing a Master’s of Arts degree with the Korbel School will receive academic credit for their 27-months of service.
“Over the past few years we’ve seen a steady increase across the state from people showing more interest in Peace Corps service,” said Mike McKay, Southwest Regional Manager. “Our unique partnership with the Korbel School has helped us promote the Peace Corps mission and reaffirms our collaboration and commitment to providing highly educated and trained people to serve overseas.”
Since the programs inception in 1999, 35 Master’s International students have completed
the program, and there are 24 students currently in the program working towards their
masters while preparing to serve with Peace Corps. DU has the largest MI program in
Colorado.
These graduate students are serving in a variety of countries such as El Salvador,
Kazakhstan, and more. They are working on projects in agriculture, education, environment,
health and HIV/AIDS and business development.
Krystal Altha is in El Salvador working as a community organization and economic development volunteer with the Association of Tourism Development. In order to help generate income, through responsible tourism, she is planning events, creating an internal communication procedure, writing grants and internal bylaws, and working on project designs and bookkeeping. She will complete her service and return to DU this year.
Elena Augustine is also a DU graduate student serving in the Peace Corps. She works as a youth development volunteer in Kazakhstan. In addition to teaching English and working to improve fundraising among nonprofits, she is involved in a project that raises HIV/AIDS awareness while encouraging creative expression among youth.
Peace Corps’ nine regional recruiting offices across the United States work to recruit and provide information and guidance to prospective Peace Corps volunteers. The Southwest Regional Recruiting Office serves Colorado and nine other states. Applicants are encouraged to plan ahead and apply for Peace Corps service one year in advance of their target departure date. Locate your local regional recruiting office by visiting the Peace Corps website here.
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.“These applicants are the most competitive for our jobs in 2012 and 2013,” McKay added.
You can view the entire top 25 rankings for each school size category, as well as all-time and graduate school rankings here.
The Peace Corps ranks its top volunteer-producing schools annually according to the size of the student body. Small schools have less than 5,000 undergraduates, medium-sized schools have between 5,001 and 15,000 undergraduates and large schools have more than 15,000 undergraduates. The rankings are calculated based on fiscal year 2011 data as of September 30, 2011 as self-reported by Peace Corps volunteers.
About the Peace Corps: Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps by executive order on March 1, 1961, more than 200,000 Americans have served in 139 host countries. Today, 9,095 volunteers are working with local communities in 75 host countries. Peace Corps volunteers must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years of age. Peace Corps service is a 27-month commitment and the agency’s mission is to promote world peace and friendship and a better understanding between Americans and people of other countries. Visit www.peacecorps.gov for more information.
