The university is ranked on the top 20 list of Midwest schools for the number of graduates who are Peace Corps volunteers. The Midwest region is six states: Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, Kentucky. There are 17 Grand Valley alumni now serving in the Peace Corps.
Meaghann Myers, coordinator of program services and outreach at GVSU's Padnos International Center, said her office often refers interested students to Grand Valley faculty who have served in the Peace Corps. Myers also credited the increased interest in the Peace Corps to the organization's marketing and on-campus recruiting.
Emily Olsen, regional recruiter, said most college graduates choose the Peace Corps for overseas experience before settling into a job. Most recent graduates also have few commitments, she said, allowing them to move easily.
The Peace Corps Chicago regional office will have representatives at Grand Valley on October 19, from 6-7:30 p.m., in the Kirkhof Center on the Allendale Campus. Contact Olsen at [email protected] for more information. An information meeting will be held at Calvin College on October 20, from 12:30-2 p.m., in Hiemenga Hall.
Media note: interviews with GVSU students who are entering the Peace Corps in January, or faculty members who had served as volunteers can be arranged by calling the News and Information Services Office at 616-331-2221.
More than 7,700 Peace Corps volunteers currently serve in 70 countries. Since its inception in 1961, 178,000 Americans have served in the Peace Corps.
