Over the past 60 years, 520 Carls have served in the Peace Corps and, for nine consecutive years, their alma mater has made the organization’s list of top volunteer-producing colleges and universities. Now ranked 16th, Carleton currently has 10 graduates volunteering around the globe. And, according to Peace Corps director Jody Olsen, it all starts in the classroom.
“These schools emphasize being global citizens and service-minded students,” she says. “The graduates coming from Peace Corps’ top colleges are using their skills to make a positive impact on their communities at home and abroad.”
The stories and connections are as varied as they are inspiring. Alexander Welna ’16 served as an education volunteer in Armenia, where he shared Carleton’s “ubiquitous and wonderful Frisbee culture” with students. He was introduced to the Peace Corps by his brother, Ben Welna ’13. “Ben gave me my initial exposure to Peace Corps when I visited him at his site in Tanzania,” Alexander says. “Four years later, he and his wife, whom he met in Peace Corps Tanzania, visited me in Armenia. It was a surreal and beautiful experience comparing the similarities and differences in our service.”
Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, more than 240,000 Americans of all ages have served in 142 countries worldwide.