CHICAGO – For the thirteenth year in a row, Michigan State University (MSU) has earned a spot on the Peace Corps’ annual list of the top volunteer-producing large universities across the country. With 76 graduates currently serving as Peace Corps volunteers, the university ranks tenth and remains a solid source of alumni committed to making a difference at home and abroad. Since the agency was created in 1961, 2,300 alums have served overseas, making Michigan State University the No. 6 all-time producer of Peace Corps volunteers.

“Every year, graduates of colleges and universities across the United States are making a difference in communities overseas through Peace Corps service,” said Acting Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet (Peace Corps Volunteer, Western Samoa, 1981-83). “As a result of the top-notch education they receive, these graduates are well prepared for the challenge of international service. They become leaders in their host communities and carry the spirit of service and leadership back with them when they return home.”

Peace Corps Volunteer Shannon O’Brien, of Washington, Mich., graduated from Michigan State University in May 2011, and is currently serving as a youth development volunteer in Ukraine, helping to develop a leadership training program for staff and students at the small college where she is assigned.

While a student at MSU, O’Brien, 23, studied abroad in Peru, Ecuador, and China, experiences that she says ultimately led her to Peace Corps.

“The Peru program opened my eyes and, really, changed my life,” O’Brien said. “It was an interdisciplinary program that brought together students from a variety of backgrounds and gave us the opportunity to put our studies into practice through volunteerism with community organizations, and real-life application of a research project. It was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences I had at MSU.”

Nationally, the University of Washington and the University of Florida outpaced other large universities, with 107 undergraduate alumni from each school currently serving as Peace Corps volunteers. Among medium schools with populations between 5,000 and 15,000 undergrads, Western Washington University ranked No. 1 with 73 alumni serving. For small schools with fewer than 5,000 undergrads, Gonzaga University topped the list, with 24 graduates currently serving. You can view the entire top 25 rankings for each school size category here.

More than 8,000 volunteers representing all 50 states and more than a thousand colleges are working with communities in 76 host countries on sustainable development projects related to agriculture, community economic development, education, environment, health and youth development.

Peace Corps service makes a difference not only to the communities served, but also to the volunteers who return home as global citizens with cross-cultural, leadership, language, teaching and community development skills that position them for advanced education and professional opportunities in today’s global job market. Ninety percent of volunteer positions require a bachelor's degree. Volunteers receive paid living expenses and full health and dental coverage while overseas, and upon completing their 27-month service they are eligible for graduate school programs and federal hiring benefits.

“Peace Corps service is making a difference in the lives of volunteers by preparing them with 21st-centry job skills like language and technical training, so when they come home they are ready to launch a career and give back to their communities,” said Hessler-Radelet.

Graduating college students are encouraged to apply by Thursday, Feb. 28 for remaining assignment openings for 2013, and the chance to be considered for programs in early 2014.

Michigan State University offers Peace Corps Master’s International programs in the areas of Agriculture Economics, Crop and Soil Sciences, and Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Study. This unique program allows students to combine Peace Corps service with graduate studies for credit.

Peace Corps also works with Michigan State University to host two on-campus recruiters to provide information about applying for service and share their personal experiences as volunteers. Elizabeth Hunt, who served in Niger, and Marisa Rinkus, who served in Guatemala, can be reached at 517-432-7474 and msupeace@msu.edu. Anyone interested in learning more can join the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MSUPeaceCorps, attend an event, drop by office hours (Mondays 3:30-5:30 p.m., Wednesdays 1-5 p.m., and Thursdays 8 a.m.-12 p.m.), or attend a public Peace Corps Information Session this semester:
• Application Workshop, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 6 p.m., International Center Room 305
• Tuesday, March 19, 6 p.m., International Center Room 303
• Wednesday, April 17, 6 p.m. Location TBD.

Michigan is among the top-producing states for volunteers, and 316 Michigan residents are currently serving in the Peace Corps. Overall, 6,866 Michigan residents have served since the agency was created in 1961.

About the Peace Corps: Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps by executive order on March 1, 1961, more than 210,000 Americans have served in 139 host countries. Today, 8,073 volunteers are working with local communities in 76 host countries in agriculture, community economic development, education, environment, health and youth in development. 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, and read about the work and experiences of currently serving Midwestern volunteers at http://midwestpcvs.wordpress.com/.