Whitworth University Among Peace Corps’ 2019 Top Volunteer-Producing Schools
March 20, 2019
Whitworth University has been ranked No. 15 among small schools on the Peace Corps’ list of the top volunteer-producing colleges and universities in 2019. Currently 10 Pirates are volunteering in countries around the world.
Whitworth has been on the list for the last four years and is among nine Washington colleges and universities on the 2019 list.
“We have seen time and again that the colleges and universities that produce the most Peace Corps volunteers focus on cultivating global citizens in addition to promoting scholarship,” Peace Corps Director Jody Olsen says. “I am proud that so many graduates of these esteemed institutions leverage their educations to make the world a better place. They bring critical skills to communities around the world and gain hands-on, life-changing experience along the way.”
Since the Peace Corps’ founding in 1961, more than 180 Whitworth alumni have served abroad as volunteers. Washington ranked No. 8 among states with the highest number of Peace Corps volunteers in 2018, and a total of 9,968 Washingtonians have served since 1961.
“Whitworth's mission of an ‘education of mind and heart’ is, in my opinion, integral to why so many alumni serve as Peace Corps volunteers,” says Andrea Glover ’11, a youth in development volunteer in the Philippines. “Professors and staff throughout the university encourage students to become active citizens engaged in their wider community – whether through service-learning, volunteering or other means. Students are called to examine their own worldviews and belief systems in light of real-world challenges and are encouraged to seek out a space where they can play a role in supporting change and growth. This underlying emphasis on self-awareness, reflection and service – which makes up much of the Whitworth experience – contributes to graduates seeking out opportunities to support change and build relationships, such as through the Peace Corps.”
Whitworth alum Ian Fisher ’18 is also in the Peace Corps and is serving in Panama as a sustainable agriculture and agribusiness volunteer. Read his story here.
The Peace Corps ranks the top volunteer-producing colleges and universities annually according to the size of the student body. View the complete 2019 rankings of the top 25 schools in each category.
Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private, liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian church. The university, which has an enrollment of more than 3,000 students, offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
*Rankings are calculated based on fiscal year 2018 data as of Sept. 30, 2018, as self-reported by Peace Corps volunteers.
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, community economic development, agriculture, the environment and youth development. Through their Peace Corps experience, volunteers gain a unique cultural understanding and a lifelong 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 235,000 Americans of all ages have served in 141 countries worldwide. For more information, visit peacecorps.gov.
Contacts:
Carla Koop, Peace Corps, (510) 452-8445 or ckoop@peacecorps.gov.
Trisha Coder, media relations manager, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or tcoder@whitworth.edu.
“We have seen time and again that the colleges and universities that produce the most Peace Corps volunteers focus on cultivating global citizens in addition to promoting scholarship,” Peace Corps Director Jody Olsen says. “I am proud that so many graduates of these esteemed institutions leverage their educations to make the world a better place. They bring critical skills to communities around the world and gain hands-on, life-changing experience along the way.”
Since the Peace Corps’ founding in 1961, more than 180 Whitworth alumni have served abroad as volunteers. Washington ranked No. 8 among states with the highest number of Peace Corps volunteers in 2018, and a total of 9,968 Washingtonians have served since 1961.
“Whitworth's mission of an ‘education of mind and heart’ is, in my opinion, integral to why so many alumni serve as Peace Corps volunteers,” says Andrea Glover ’11, a youth in development volunteer in the Philippines. “Professors and staff throughout the university encourage students to become active citizens engaged in their wider community – whether through service-learning, volunteering or other means. Students are called to examine their own worldviews and belief systems in light of real-world challenges and are encouraged to seek out a space where they can play a role in supporting change and growth. This underlying emphasis on self-awareness, reflection and service – which makes up much of the Whitworth experience – contributes to graduates seeking out opportunities to support change and build relationships, such as through the Peace Corps.”
Whitworth alum Ian Fisher ’18 is also in the Peace Corps and is serving in Panama as a sustainable agriculture and agribusiness volunteer. Read his story here.
The Peace Corps ranks the top volunteer-producing colleges and universities annually according to the size of the student body. View the complete 2019 rankings of the top 25 schools in each category.
Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private, liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian church. The university, which has an enrollment of more than 3,000 students, offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
*Rankings are calculated based on fiscal year 2018 data as of Sept. 30, 2018, as self-reported by Peace Corps volunteers.
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, community economic development, agriculture, the environment and youth development. Through their Peace Corps experience, volunteers gain a unique cultural understanding and a lifelong 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 235,000 Americans of all ages have served in 141 countries worldwide. For more information, visit peacecorps.gov.
Contacts:
Carla Koop, Peace Corps, (510) 452-8445 or ckoop@peacecorps.gov.
Trisha Coder, media relations manager, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or tcoder@whitworth.edu.
