Brown ranked 15th in the number of alum volunteers in the Peace Corps among medium-sized colleges and universities last year, according to a list released by the organization this January.
"Brown students have a great view of the world and a great commitment to service. That's why they are such good candidates for the Peace Corps," said January Zuk, Peace Corps regional recruiter for Rhode Island and former volunteer, who has been recruiting at the University for three years.
Sharing Brown's ranking are the University of Pennsylvania and Binghamton University - all three schools contributed 24 alum volunteers each in 2008.
In the rankings for 2007, Brown tied with Yale and Binghamton University for 22nd place in the medium-sized colleges and universities category, while two years ago Brown placed 17th.
In addition to Brown and Penn, three other Ivy League schools made the most recent list. Cornell ranked fourth in the medium-sized universities category with 50 volunteers, Yale was 21st in the medium category with 21 volunteers and Dartmouth ranked 10th in the small colleges and universities category with 18 volunteers.
The Peace Corps, which was founded in 1961, sends American volunteers, many of whom are recent graduates, to over 70 foreign countries to improve their systems of education, health care, agriculture, technology and sustainable development, as well as other community factors.
Samantha Kuo '09, who will be joining the Peace Corps in 2010, is among the current Brown seniors who have decided to make the 27-month commitment to serve.
Kuo said she will probably not have much say in where she will go or what she will do, but she is most interested in serving in the Middle East or North Africa.
"I really want to go abroad," she said, adding that she studies Arabic but has never had the chance to study abroad. "You get to volunteer and the Peace Corps takes care of everything for you."
The Peace Corps covers the volunteers' travel fees, health care and other expenses during their service and provides non-competitive entry into government jobs and a $6,000 benefit to volunteers when they return from service.
"You have to be very committed to the idea, because there is really not that much of an economic incentive," Kuo said.
Andrew Nager '09 said he will most likely accept his Peace Corps nomination to work for the Water Sanitation Extension in Central or South America. Beginning his service in 2010, Nager will work on water resource engineering and water sanitation, he said.
"I went to one of the information sessions at the Career Center and just decided to apply," Nager said, adding that he is now "excited" by his nomination and likely participation in the program.
The year-long application process for the Peace Corps is rigorous, Zuk said, requiring prospective volunteers to complete a 20-page online application, interview, medical screening and security check.
Traditionally, volunteers for the Peace Corps have been college graduates, but a college degree is not required for service.
"I think it's impressive that so many Brown students are in the Peace Corps," said Associate Professor of Anthropology Daniel Smith, who was a Peace Corps health care volunteer in Sierra Leone from 1984 to 1985.
Smith said he thinks the primary motivating factors for people to join the Peace Corps are curiosity and a "desire to do some kind of good in the world."
The people who work for the Peace Corps benefit as much or more than the people they are serving, he added.
Kuo thinks the Peace Corps is a trusted organization that will provide a safe atmosphere in which to serve the community. "I want to give back and do something while I'm young and don't have a lot of commitments," she added.
