Virginia Tech is ranked in the Peace Corps' top 25 list of large schools producing Peace Corps Volunteers.

With 43 alumni currently serving as Peace Corps Volunteers, Virginia Tech is now ranked No. 25. Since the Peace Corps’ inception, 511 alumni of Virginia Tech have served as Peace Corps Volunteers across the globe making Virginia Tech the No. 81 producer of volunteers of all time.

This ranking is the first for Virginia Tech since 2003. Virginia Tech has had the same Peace Corps recruiter volunteering their time for the past two years. Generally, the volunteer recruiters are graduate students. Currently Sara Bumsted is the Virginia Tech Peace Corps recruiter.

She explains that since the inception of VT-ENGAGE, there’s a much higher awareness for serving others and volunteerism throughout the community. Because there is such an emphasis on volunteering now she says she believes it has been helpful in gaining the attention and interest of students through information sessions, advertisements in the colleges, career fairs, and even word of mouth.

Bumsted goes on to note that many students are finding that learning about new cultures, living with a host family, and being able to share their knowledge is rewarding. Students also remark that they find being able to learning new skills and becoming globally conscious citizens is rewarding as well.

Schools are ranked according to the size of the student population. Virginia Tech is ranked in the large-school category with more than 15,000 undergraduate students. The majority of volunteers, who have served in the Peace Corps since it’s beginning, have been college graduates—although it is not a requirement. Currently, 95 percent of volunteers have at least an undergraduate degree, with 11 percent of those also possessing a graduate level degree.

The Peace Corps is celebrating 46 years of a legacy to service at home and abroad. There are currently more than 8,000 volunteers abroad, a 37 year high for volunteers in the field. Since 1961, more than 190,000 Peace Corps volunteers have helped promote a better understanding between Americans and the people of the 139 countries where volunteers have served. The commitment to the Peace Corps is 27 months of service; volunteers must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years of age. Learn more about Peace Corps recruitment at Virginia Tech.

For more information about the Peace Corps at Virginia Tech, contact the Virginia Tech Peace Corps recruiter, Sara Bumsted, at (540) 231-4266 or peacecor@vt.edu.

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