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Boston College is ranked seventh on the 2012 survey of top Peace Corps volunteer-producing colleges and universities in the 'medium size' category. There are currently 39 BC undergraduate alumni serving overseas.
Since the agency was founded in 1961, 737 Boston College alumni have served in the Peace Corps.
“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.”
Boston College alumni are currently serving as volunteers in Albania, Burkina Faso. Cameroon, Cape Verde, China, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Lesotho, Macedonia, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Romania, Ukraine and Zambia. They work in areas including Education, Environment, Health and HIV/AIDS, Business Development and Youth Development.
Matthew Whalen of Pittsfield, Mass., who is currently serving as a small enterprise development consultant volunteer in Togo, credited Boston College with preparing him for overseas service. “Boston College is an institution dedicated to providing service to others,” says Whalen, who graduated from the Carroll School of Management in 2007. “Having had the opportunity to be educated at an institution where everyone is involved with helping others allowed me to understand the importance of utilizing one’s knowledge and ability to improve the lives of those around us. Being continuously exposed to individuals committed to community service and immersing myself into a university culture that encouraged this type of thinking greatly influenced my decision to join the Peace Corps and helped me to become an effective volunteer.”
Other Boston area colleges and universities made the 2012 rankings, including Boston University, which is No. 16 among large schools; Tufts University, which is No. 15 among medium size schools; and Wellesley College, which is No. 10 among small schools nationwide.
The Peace Corps’ nine regional recruiting offices across the United States work to recruit and provide information and guidance to prospective volunteers. Applicants are encouraged to apply for Peace Corps service one year in advance of their targeted departure date. 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.
The entire top 25 rankings for each school size category, as well as all-time and graduate school rankings, can be found 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.