Colgate is a top producer of Peace Corps volunteers

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The positive impact Colgate alumni have in some of the more far-reaching areas of the world continues to grow.

The Peace Corps recently announced that 20 alumni are currently serving as volunteers, making Colgate the ninth highest producer of volunteers among small colleges and universities.


Since 1961, 327 alumni have served as volunteers, joining the many others who work in 77 countries in the areas of education, youth and community development, health and HIV/AIDS, business information, communication technology, agriculture, and the environment.

A Peace Corps mission lasts 27 months — three months of training and two years of service — and volunteers are placed deep within a culture, living side by side with those whom they serve.

Because of the university’s strong emphasis on service-learning and study-abroad programs, Colgate alumni are often the perfect fit for the Peace Corps.

“Colgate’s ranking shows the high level of commitment our students and alumni have to community service and to going out and making a real difference in the world,” said Ursula Olender, director of career services.