Last year, 26 Ohio University students prepared to pack their bags for 27 months of building libraries in Bolivia, developing business programs in Botswana or teaching English in Beijing.
More university students choose to spend the gap between college graduation and the job market by joining the Peace Corps, said Scott Roskelley, a Peace Corps public affairs representative.
Last year, the Peace Corps received 10,946 applications for 3,300 positions, an increase of 13.4 percent from 2002, Roskelley said.
Last quarter, 18 OU students applied for positions, said Danielle Matta, OU Peace Corps recruiter.
Though the Peace Corps, which President John Kennedy began in 1960, experienced its highest enrollment during the Vietnam War, there has been a surge in applicants in the last few years, Roskelley said.
He cites the economic downturn as one reason for the increase of applications. Since the job market is not as attractive as it was for recent grads in the 1990s, students are considering other options.
Natalie Wise, an OU graduate student, had a long-standing interest in joining the Peace Corps and began the application process last June. This summer, once she finishes her masters in political science, she will head to Asia to teach English to university students.
Matta said the application process takes five to 12 months. An applicant must fill out the necessary forms, write essays, complete interviews and receive doctor and dentist recommendations. The process often is extended because any dental work and health concerns must be taken care of before the volunteer can begin training, Matta said.
The Peace Corps receives more applicants than it has assignments available, but the rigorous application process often self selects
Roskelley said; during the course of the process many applicants change their minds and drop out.
The Peace Corps offers six different types of assignments: health education, education, environmental science, agriculture, community development and business. Though South and Central America are the most-requested Peace Corps destinations, the organization sends volunteers to a total of 69 countries throughout Southeast Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe, according to the Peace Corps Web site (www.peacecorps.gov.)
Peace Corps assignment directors favor applicants who are flexible in either their location or type of assignment. In addition, graduates who have foreign language experience, a degree in an assignment area or volunteer experience have a better chance of receiving their desired assignment. 17
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Emily Patterson
