The University of Vermont ranks No. 5 on the 2012 top Peace Corps volunteer-producing colleges and universities in the category of medium-sized institutions. There are currently 42 undergraduate alumni serving overseas. Last year, UVM had 34 alumni volunteers and was No. 13 in the 2011 rankings.
Since the agency was founded in 1961, 801 UVM 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. “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.”
University of Vermont alumni are currently serving as volunteers in Azerbaijan, Botswana, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Eastern Caribbean, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, Gambia, Honduras, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Mali, Mexico, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Philippines, Senegal, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Ukraine, Vanuatu and Zambia. They work in areas including agriculture, education, environment, health and HIV/AIDS, business development and youth development.
Eric Smith of Cream Ridge, New Jersey, who is currently serving as an education volunteer in Costa Rica, credited UVM with preparing him for overseas service. “My teachers and the university’s environment always encouraged me to think unconventionally, challenge the status-quo, and always rise to the occasion,” says Smith, who graduated with a business administration degree in 2009. “I have been working in microfinance, helping a community credit enterprise to improve their administrative and financial business applications, while encouraging local women to develop their own businesses. That work, along with the personal finance and savings classes given to the community, would not have been possible without my education at UVM.”
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.
You can view the entire top 25 rankings for each school size category, as well as all-time and graduate school rankings in this PDF.