The Peace Corps recently announced that Humboldt State ranked No. 6 among medium-size schools on the agency’s 2018 Top Volunteer-Producing Colleges and Universities list.
HSU has ranked among the top 10 medium colleges for over a decade, and a total of 854 alumni have served in the Peace Corps. Among those alumni is HSU graduate John Soener. He serves as an environment volunteer in Nicaragua, where he co-teaches elementary school science classes and provides support for school gardens and tree nurseries.
“Humboldt State University works hard to foster an international and an altruistic mindset within its students,” Soener said. “Through the annual International Education Week, students learn about issues affecting the international community and how to develop an international career. The Peace Corps also has a strong recruiting program on campus that, in collaboration with the university, hosts fantastic events to inform students about the volunteer lifestyle and how to apply for the Peace Corps.”
Alumni from more than 3,000 colleges and universities nationwide have served in the Peace Corps since the agency’s founding in 1961. California ranked No. 1 among states with the highest number of Peace Corps volunteers in 2017. There are 873 volunteers from California currently serving worldwide, and 30,887 residents have served in the Peace Corps since the agency’s founding in 1961.
“Peace Corps service is a profound expression of the idealism and civic engagement that colleges and universities across the country inspire in their alumni,” said Acting Peace Corps Director Sheila Crowley. “As Peace Corps volunteers, recent college and university graduates foster capacity and self-reliance at the grassroots level, making an impact in communities around the world. When they return to the United States, they have new, highly sought-after skills and an enterprising spirit that further leverages their education and strengthens their communities back home.”
The Peace Corps ranks its top volunteer-producing colleges and universities annually according to the size of the student body. Below is a list of the top five schools in each category and the number of alumni currently serving as Peace Corps volunteers.
View the complete 2018 rankings of the top 25 schools in each category here and find an interactive map that shows where alumni from each college and university are serving here.
About the Peace Corps
The Peace Corps sends Americans with a passion for service abroad on behalf of the United States to work with communities and create lasting change. Volunteers develop sustainable solutions to address challenges in education, health, community economic development, agriculture, environment, and youth development. Through their Peace Corps experience, volunteers gain a unique cultural understanding and a life-long commitment to service that positions them to succeed in today’s global economy.
Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, more than 230,000 Americans of all ages have served in 141 countries worldwide. For more information, visit peacecorps.gov and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
This story was originally published on Feb. 20, 2018