News
Cornell Tops Ivies for Peace Corps Recruitment in 2006
February 6, 2007 - 1:36am
The Peace Corps announced last week that Cornell recruited more Corps members than any other Ivy last year and ranked third among medium-sized schools nationwide.
According to officials, the high number of Cornell grads joining the Peace Corps — 52 alumni — is not surprising considering Cornell’s history with the program.
John Edgar grad, Cornell’s new Peace Corps coordinator said that since the program’s inception in 1961, 836 Cornellians have joined the Peace Corps.
Edgar suggested that Cornell’s high recruitment numbers can be attributed in part to the University’s agricultural focus.
“One of my tasks is to recruit for critical skills which are valuable in the field,” Edgar said. “Agriculture is considered a scarce skill.”
Edgar also cited Cornell’s longstanding record of commitment to service and community engagement as a motive for high Peace Corps participation.
Cornell is unique among Ivy League schools because it co-sponsors a Master of Professional Studies degree in Life Science in coordination with the Peace Corps. The program consists of one year of coursework in a range of Life Science disciplines, followed by a two-year assignment in the Peace Corps. Students then return to Cornell to complete their theses.
According to Edgar, the application process is competitive but “approachable and open.” The Peace Corps receives between 9,000 and 10,000 applications yearly, and approximately half of all applicants are placed in the field. Currently, the Philippines and the Ukraine are the most popular destinations.
Despite the competitive process, some Cornell students became interested in the Peace Corps because of their experiences at Cornell.
Elizabeth Jordan ’07 applied to the Peace Corps this year with hopes to be assigned this summer. Although she has not yet received her final assignment, she hopes to teach science and English in a secondary school in Africa.
Jordan, a biology major, said that science classes and tutoring community service programs offered by Cornell factored into her decision. A trip to Kenya with her field biology class last January truly “set her mind at ease.”
Jordan added, “My experience at Cornell really convinced me that yes, I want to go on with science [and] yes, I want to do research, but I also wanted teaching to be a significant part of my life.”
For Jordan, the Peace Corps offered an ideal combination.
Jordan’s desire to work in Africa is rare among the majority of Peace Corps recruits across the country but surprisingly common among Cornellians, Edgar said.
“A lot of people don’t want to go to Africa because they have heard that it is dangerous,” said Edgar. “But you don’t see those false stigmas about Africa here at Cornell,” he added.
Michael Gold, associate professor of collective bargaining, spent three years teaching in secondary and law schools in Liberia as a Peace Corps member. Although he received his undergraduate degree from the University of California at Berkeley, he believes that Cornell offers a range of curricular and extracurricular programs to prepare students for the Peace Corps.
“A sound education prepares many Cornell students for positions like teaching and community development.” He added, “Cornell can also educate students about the rest of the world so that some of them will become interested in foreign countries.”
Professor Gold also said that programs like Cornell Traditions and the Cornell Public Service Center “foster development of the generous spirit that motivates good people to help others.”
As an independent government agency, The Peace Corps sends volunteers to live and work in developing countries for 27 month periods. The goal of the organization is to foster understanding and education between the United States and host countries. Volunteers specialize in issues ranging from health education to economic development and environmental protection.
The Peace Corps recruitment office is sponsoring a panel of returned Peace Corps Alumni today at 7 p.m. in the Willard Straight Art Gallery for interested students.
The Peace Corps announced last week that Cornell recruited more Corps members than any other Ivy last year and ranked third among medium-sized schools nationwide.
According to officials, the high number of Cornell grads joining the Peace Corps — 52 alumni — is not surprising considering Cornell’s history with the program.
John Edgar grad, Cornell’s new Peace Corps coordinator said that since the program’s inception in 1961, 836 Cornellians have joined the Peace Corps.
Edgar suggested that Cornell’s high recruitment numbers can be attributed in part to the University’s agricultural focus.
“One of my tasks is to recruit for critical skills which are valuable in the field,” Edgar said. “Agriculture is considered a scarce skill.”
Edgar also cited Cornell’s longstanding record of commitment to service and community engagement as a motive for high Peace Corps participation.
Cornell is unique among Ivy League schools because it co-sponsors a Master of Professional Studies degree in Life Science in coordination with the Peace Corps. The program consists of one year of coursework in a range of Life Science disciplines, followed by a two-year assignment in the Peace Corps. Students then return to Cornell to complete their theses.
According to Edgar, the application process is competitive but “approachable and open.” The Peace Corps receives between 9,000 and 10,000 applications yearly, and approximately half of all applicants are placed in the field. Currently, the Philippines and the Ukraine are the most popular destinations.
Despite the competitive process, some Cornell students became interested in the Peace Corps because of their experiences at Cornell.
Elizabeth Jordan ’07 applied to the Peace Corps this year with hopes to be assigned this summer. Although she has not yet received her final assignment, she hopes to teach science and English in a secondary school in Africa.
Jordan, a biology major, said that science classes and tutoring community service programs offered by Cornell factored into her decision. A trip to Kenya with her field biology class last January truly “set her mind at ease.”
Jordan added, “My experience at Cornell really convinced me that yes, I want to go on with science [and] yes, I want to do research, but I also wanted teaching to be a significant part of my life.”
For Jordan, the Peace Corps offered an ideal combination.
Jordan’s desire to work in Africa is rare among the majority of Peace Corps recruits across the country but surprisingly common among Cornellians, Edgar said.
“A lot of people don’t want to go to Africa because they have heard that it is dangerous,” said Edgar. “But you don’t see those false stigmas about Africa here at Cornell,” he added.
Michael Gold, associate professor of collective bargaining, spent three years teaching in secondary and law schools in Liberia as a Peace Corps member. Although he received his undergraduate degree from the University of California at Berkeley, he believes that Cornell offers a range of curricular and extracurricular programs to prepare students for the Peace Corps.
“A sound education prepares many Cornell students for positions like teaching and community development.” He added, “Cornell can also educate students about the rest of the world so that some of them will become interested in foreign countries.”
Professor Gold also said that programs like Cornell Traditions and the Cornell Public Service Center “foster development of the generous spirit that motivates good people to help others.”
As an independent government agency, The Peace Corps sends volunteers to live and work in developing countries for 27 month periods. The goal of the organization is to foster understanding and education between the United States and host countries. Volunteers specialize in issues ranging from health education to economic development and environmental protection.
The Peace Corps recruitment office is sponsoring a panel of returned Peace Corps Alumni today at 7 p.m. in the Willard Straight Art Gallery for interested students.
Cornell tops Ivies in Peace Corps recruitments..
I hope that Cornell as well as Peace Corps, will present both sides of the issues that volunteers encounter while serving in the Peace Corps. My child was recruited to join; did serve less than a year..and, his/her preexisting health concerns should have been red flagged as a reason to be excluded..no, the PC still took him/her...and the environmental influences there, nearly took my child's life. It is very difficult for me to believe in the wonderous things that PC volunteers deliver to the people they serve, when I saw ahead of time, the problems; I pleaded with PC national officials to exclude my child, and because he/she was 21; PC ignored my parental pleas, and took him/her anyhow...PC officials later on, were upset that "we were never fully informed about the health conditions of this volunteer...certainly he/she would NOT have been allowed to go abroad to serve, had we known ahead".....years later, my child's health still isn't good; partially their own blame; but as much, the Peace Corps' fault too. PLEASE let some less than happy stories come out as well, when PC comes to talk. It isn't as rosy as they make it out to be...
With all due respect to the
With all due respect to the experiences of Ms. Smith's daughter, it is ridiculous that Ms. Smith should expect her child to take no accountability for her actions whatsoever before going abroad.
Travel or living in many developing countries can be strenous, to be sure - but if your child can't assess what an experience will be alike, they shouldnt go. If they did, and they werent ready to assess themselves as such, that's their fault. (Lastly, unless your child had a SERIOUS, SERIOUS condition that couldnt be dealt with abroad - remember that millions of people much like your daughter/son grew up in less developed conditions like you complain of abroad.
Peace Corps shouldnt be in the business of coddling your child (who is an adult), and neither should Cornell - she/he should take responsiblity for her own actions and for safeguarding their own health.