Willamette University is ranked No. 9 in the nation among small schools on the Peace Corps’ 2019 Top Volunteer-Producing Colleges and Universities list.
Twelve Bearcats are currently volunteering around the world. More than 340 have served in the Peace Corps since the agency’s founding in 1961. Willamette has ranked among the Peace Corps’ top small colleges 15 of the last 17 years.
Nathaniel Balk ’16 is currently serving as an education volunteer in Morocco.
“Whether it was lectures in the classroom or convocations, Willamette emphasized how important both community and giving are to the world,” Balk said. “Willamette was influential on my decision to join Peace Corps because I know that my purpose isn’t just to live, but to make the world a better place.”
Students interested in serving as volunteers should visit Career Development on the third floor of the Putnam University Center. Learn more about Willamette’s commitment to civic engagement through the Office of Community Service Learning.
Willamette MBA and the College of Law offer financial assistance to returned Peace Corps volunteers through the Paul D. Coverdell Fellows program, a graduate fellowship program that includes an internship in an underserved community in the United States.
The annual ranking is based on the size of the student body at participating colleges and universities. Willamette is one of two Oregon schools in the top 10 institutions with fewer than 5,000 undergraduates. University of Portland is also ranked No. 9.
The Peace Corps strives for world peace and better understanding between Americans and people of other countries. Volunteers spend more than two years tackling challenges related to health, education, agriculture and economic development.