UGA among Peace Corps’ 2020 top-producing schools

The Peace Corps ranks University of Georgia at No. 5 among large schools on the agency’s list of top volunteer-producing colleges and universities in 2020. There are 64 Bulldogs currently volunteering in countries around the world:

UGA made a big leap to No. 5 from last year’s spot at No. 13.

“UGA’s commitment to the Peace Corps is ongoing,” said Yana Cornish, director of global education. “The recent growth of participation in the UGA Peace Corps Prep Certificate program has prepared our students and given them a competitive edge which in turn, has had a positive impact on the number of UGA graduates applying to serve with the Peace Corps.”

Since the agency’s founding in 1961, over 710 alumni from UGA have served abroad as Peace Corps volunteers. The university’s Peace Corps Prep program provides undergraduates with an opportunity to integrate coursework with hands-on experience and professional development and prepare them for international development fieldwork and potential Peace Corps service.

Elysia Moon is a UGA alumna who received a Bachelor of Arts in international affairs from the School of Public and International Affairs in 2017. She is currently serving in the Dominican Republic.

On this terrific news, Paul Duncan, associate director & outreach coordinator in the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Institute, suggested that, "Having a UGA Peace Corps Prep Certificate probably has helped us secure such a high ranking and UGA’s numerous study abroad options has also helped to spark greater interest in UGA students." UGA’s top 5 national ranking in sending graduates around the world to serve with Peace Corps is a great sign of the international engagement we all support, and which is now perhaps more important than ever.