Puget Sound Ranks Second in Small School Category
TACOMA—Today, the Peace Corps announced that the University of Puget Sound ranked No. 2 (a tie) among small schools on the agency’s 2017 Top Volunteer-Producing Colleges and Universities list. There are 13 Puget Sound alumni currently volunteering worldwide.
“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. “Many college graduates view Peace Corps as a launching pad for their careers because volunteers return home with the cultural competency and entrepreneurial spirit sought after in most fields.”
Since the Peace Corps’ founding in 1961, 306 Loggers have traveled abroad to serve as volunteers. Puget Sound has consistently ranked high in the list, including being named in the top five for the past three years. The university tied for the No. 1 spot in 2016.
Elena Cussler graduated from Puget Sound in 2014 and is currently serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Indonesia. While studying at the national liberal arts college, Cussler was inspired to consider life from a different perspective.
“Puget Sound instilled in me a drive to understand and expand my world view—a drive that continued after graduation,” Cussler said. “Joining the Peace Corps allowed me to continue the education I started at college.”
Puget Sound is among six Washington schools on the top college's list. In 2016 Washington ranked No. 4 among states with the highest number of Peace Corps volunteers, with 317 volunteers worldwide.
Service in the Peace Corps is a life-defining, hands-on experience that offers volunteers the opportunity to travel to a community overseas and make a lasting difference in others' lives.
The Peace Corps ranks its top volunteer-producing colleges and universities annually according to the student body's size.
To see the 2017 rankings of the Top 25 schools in each category, visit: http://files.peacecorps.gov/university-rankings/2017/topschools2017.pdf
About the Peace Corps: The Peace Corps sends Americans with a passion for service abroad on behalf of the United States to work with communities and create lasting change. Volunteers develop sustainable solutions to address challenges in education, health, economic development, agriculture, environment, and youth development. Through their Peace Corps experience, volunteers gain a unique cultural understanding and a life-long commitment to service that positions them to succeed in today's global economy. Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, more than 225,000 Americans of all ages have served in 141 countries worldwide. For more information, visit peacecorps.gov.
Press photos of Puget Sound Peace Corps volunteers are available upon request.
Photos on page: From top right: Janece Levien '09 having fun with a family in Guatemala as she serves with the Peace Corps (about 2015); Sue Dahlin, from the Office of Career and Employment Services, where students can find out more about Peace Corps, with a student; the 2017 Peace Corp badge.
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