The Peace Corps has announced that Hamilton College was 22nd among small schools on the agency’s 2017 Top Volunteer-Producing Colleges and Universities list. There are nine Hamilton alumni currently volunteering worldwide. In 2013, Hamilton was 18th on the list.
“Peace Corps service is an unparalleled leadership opportunity that enables college and university alumni to use the creative-thinking skills they developed in school to make an impact in communities around the world,” Acting Peace Corps Director Sheila Crowley said.
Alana Christopher ’14, a current Peace Corps volunteer, is located in the city of Ouani, on the island of Anjouan in Comoros, a country between Madagascar and the continent of Africa. "'I joined the Peace Corps because I knew I wanted to eventually work in international development, but had no concrete ideas about what I wanted to do long term. Now, I can honestly say that joining the Peace Corps was one of the best decisions I've made in my life.
"As a Peace Corps Volunteer I have challenged myself and my perceptions of the world, and I believe I'm a much better person for it. I will forever love my small community here in Comoros, the friends that I've made, and the experiences that I will never forget."
Christopher is teaching English at a local high school and in the community. She also trains teachers how to teach English and pointed out that living on a tropical island does have its side benefits including easy access to the surrounding clear, warm waters.
Since the Peace Corps’ founding in 1961, 243 alumni from Hamilton have traveled abroad to serve as volunteers. Tomorrow, March 1, Hamilton alumnus and Peace Corps regional recruitment director, will conduct an information session over lunch in the Sadove Conference Center at noon. Students may register online.
A simple and personal Peace Corps application process can be completed online in about one hour. Applicants can learn more about service opportunities by assignment area, country and departure date by visiting the Peace Corps website and connecting with a recruiter.
The complete 2017 listing of the top 25 schools in each category are available online and an interactive map displaying where alumni from each college and university are serving is available as well.
