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The Peace Corps announced today that Allegheny College ranked No. 9 among small schools on the agency’s list of top volunteer-producing colleges and universities in 2019. There are 12 Allegheny alumni currently volunteering in countries around the world.

This is the first year since 2016 that Allegheny has ranked among the top 25 small schools.

“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,” said Peace Corps Director Jody Olsen. “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, around 220 alumni from Allegheny have served abroad as volunteers. Jim Fitch, director of career education at Allegheny College, has served for the past 13 years as the college’s lead liaison with the Peace Corps.

“We are thrilled to again be named among the Peace Corps’ top volunteer-producing colleges,” Fitch said. “Peace Corps service is a transformational experience that reflects and enlivens the deep commitment to changing lives that Allegheny graduates demonstrate in communities near and far.” Fitch added that two members of the college’s graduating class of 2019 have been accepted to serve in the Peace Corps.

Allegheny students are invited to meet with a regional Peace Corps recruiter who visits campus several times a year as a guest of the Allegheny Gateway, a central location for study and collaboration in which students can access the resources they need to thrive at Allegheny and in their lives after college.

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 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 235,000 Americans of all ages have served in 141 countries worldwide.