USF World News
University of South Florida Among Peace Corps’ 2018 Top Volunteer-Producing Colleges & Universities
This is the second year that USF has ranked among the top 25 large undergraduate schools and top 5 graduate schools. In addition, Florida ranked No. 3 among the top ten volunteer-producing states in the agencies 2017 Top Volunteer Producing States list, consistently climbing in the rankings from the No. 8 spot in 2011. There are 355 volunteers from the Sunshine State currently serving worldwide.
The University of South Florida is a Peace Corps University Program partner offering the Peace Corps Prep certificate program to undergraduates. Peace Corps Prep is a certificate program for undergraduates that centers on empowering their skills to be the best volunteer. Coverdell Graduate Fellowship program, at the Colleges of Public Health, the Patel College of Global Sustainability, College of Nursing, College of Civil Environmental-Engineering and Applied Anthropology the USF Department of Anthropology. The Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program is a graduate fellowship program that offers financial assistance to returned Peace Corps volunteers.
"Peace Corps service is a profound expression of the idealism and civic engagement that colleges and universities across the country inspire in their alumni," said Acting Peace Corps Director Sheila Crowley. "As Peace Corps Volunteers, recent college and university graduates foster capacity and self-reliance at the grassroots level, making an impact in communities around the world. When they return to the United States, they have new, highly sought-after skills and an enterprising spirit that further leverages their education and strengthens their communities back home."
Alumni from more than 3,000 colleges and universities nationwide have served in the Peace Corps since the agency's founding in 1961. A total of 8,237 Floridians have served in the Peace Corps since the agency was founded, and 503 have been USF alumni.
Amber Boose of Tampa, Florida graduated from USF undergraduate school May 2013, and USF graduate school August 2017. Boose has been a health and local government capacity building volunteer and is now a clinical research coordinator on a 13 month extension in Botswana. "The University of South Florida prides itself on embracing diversity and promoting cultural awareness. At USF I had the opportunity to learn with people from other countries and hear about their experiences which were very different from my own. The more you're exposed to different ways of viewing the world, the more you want to travel and learn" Boose said.
Emmanuel Esguerra also of Tampa, Florida graduated from USF in 2015 and is serving as a teacher under the faculty of education at the National University of Samoa. Esguerra works with local teachers providing lectures to both current and future teachers who are taught English and skills to teach English to primary and secondary students in Samoan government schools. Esguerra credits USF returned Peace Corps volunteers and faculty of USF Applied Linguistics Department for his inspiration to serve in the Peace Corps.
The Peace Corps ranks its top volunteer-producing colleges and universities annually according to the size of the student body. Below find the top five schools in each category and the number of alumni currently serving as Peace Corps volunteers. View the complete 2018 rankings of the top 25 schools in each category here and find an interactive map that shows where alumni from each college and university are serving here.
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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, environment and youth development. Through their Peace Corps experience, volunteers gain a unique cultural understanding and a life-long 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 230,000 Americans of all ages have served in 141 countries worldwide. For more information, visit peacecorps.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.