The University ranks seventh in the nation in sending graduates to the Peace Corps with 63 alumni now serving, according to statistics released yesterday.
Last year, the University ranked sixth with 70 graduates serving in the Peace Corps.
Paige Risser, Peace Corps public affairs specialist, said the drop is not representative of a considerable decline in the number of University volunteers. The number changes "from day to day" and such a small change is not significant, Risser said. Despite the drop in volunteers from the University, it is still the "top producer in the region," she said.
The University did not drop in rank because it lost volunteers, but because the University of Oregon leaped from No. 15 to No. 5 in the rankings, pushing the University back to No. 7.
President Kennedy founded the Peace Corps in 1961, and the organization has since sent 161,000 volunteers to 134 countries. University alumni have participated since the program's inception and have provided 677 volunteers.
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Peace Corps spokeswoman Susan Buchanan said the organization looks for specific qualities in its volunteers.
"We seek volunteers who are trainable, adaptable and interested in devoting a portion of their life to others," Buchanan said.
The Peace Corps values University alumni volunteers because of their "commitment to service" and because they are very "interested in other cultures," Risser said.
Her own experiences in the organization - as a volunteer in Paraguay for two years - introduced her to the wider world, she said.
"It gave me a perspective most of the people in the world don't have," she added.
Madison House official Cat Crimmins said the "strong service ethic" among University students makes them valuable as Peace Corps volunteers. Jenny Smith, a University graduate who volunteered for two years in West Africa through the Peace Corps, agreed, saying University students are highly qualified workers.
Volunteers with general B.A. degrees and special skills gained in private life, such as organic gardening, are most prized, Buchanan said.
Both Risser and Crimmins said a strong relationship between Madison House and the Peace Corps allows the University to send a large delegation each year. Madison House arranges for Peace Corps representatives to come annually to the University and recruit students.
To volunteer for the Peace Corps, an individual must first fill out an application, available online at www.peacecorps.org. Applicants then undergo an interview process, and after being cleared medically and legally for FBI and background checks, volunteers pick a region of the world where they want to work.
"People won't realize how many other opportunities there are if they stay in this country," Smith said.
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