Cornell ranks No. 5 for Peace Corps recruits

Cornell ranks No. 5 in producing Peace Corps volunteers among medium-sized colleges and universities nationwide, according to the 2014 Peace Corps’ annual ranking of schools.

Cornell has 29 undergraduate alumni currently volunteering worldwide  in Benin, Cameroon, China, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Jamaica, Kenya, Kyrgyz Republic, Malawi, Moldova, Namibia, Paraguay, Peru, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo and Uganda. They work in areas including agriculture, education, environment, health and community economic development.

Cornell tied with the University of Vermont for the No. 5 spot. In 2013 Cornell ranked No. 4.

Since the first days of the Peace Corps, 1,622 Cornell alumni have traveled abroad to serve as volunteers.

“At Cornell, I discovered my passion for international health and development,” said Allie Munson ’12, who is serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala, where she works to improve maternal and child health. “Peace Corps was the perfect opportunity to gain experience working abroad in these fields in a grassroots, dig-in-and-get-your-hands-dirty kind of way that fosters strong connections with local community members and a deep understanding and respect for a new culture.”

The Peace Corps has eight regional recruitment offices across the country. The Northeast regional recruitment office serves Cornell, and Peace Corps recruiters are based throughout the region. Cornell students interested in learning more about Peace Corps service can contact campus recruiter Patrick Starr at peacecorps@cornell.edu or 607-255-7693.

Media Contact

John Carberry