University Career Services recently received its first Peace Corps representative to the University.
The Peace Corps sent University graduate Justin Lawrence as its representative.
"They opened up this position because so many U.Va. students have gone into the Peace Corps after graduation," Lawrence said.
Lawrence was a volunteer in Mauritania, West Africa and finished his service with the Peace Corps in August.
Lynn Heichel Kneedler, regional manager for the Mid-Atlantic States Peace Corps Office, said the Peace Corps selected the University to host one of its representatives for many reasons.
"We selected U.Va. because it is such a terrific Peace Corps campus," Kneedler said. "A lot of graduates serve the Peace Corps, the student body is very service-minded and the students recognize the value of Peace Corps service for their future careers."
Lawrence meets with and interviews students who are interested in joining the Peace Corps.
"I attended Diversity Career Day, and we had a lot of students there," Lawrence said. "I've been conducting interviews on campus already."
In addition to serving as the Peace Corps representative on Grounds, Lawrence will conduct interviews in the neighboring area and counties, Keffner said.
Lawrence said he's looking for a large number of graduates to enter the Peace Corps this year and hopes his office will be accessible to interested students.
"I hope the office is a place students will be able to come and ask questions about the Peace Corps," he said. "I hope it is a convenient place to stop by."
Lawrence said UCS and the Peace Corps worked together to establish the office. He added that before this year, recruiters would have to drive from Washington, D.C. to Charlottesville.
"This is going to give students a lot easier access to information about the Peace Corps," he said.
Keffner said Lawrence is one of the Peace Corps' strategy recruiters.
"What the Peace Corps does is enter into contractual information with the University," Keffner said. "We hire a Peace Corps [representative] who is a graduate or who is applying to grad school, and they work 20 hours a week for the Peace Corps. They are our ears and eyes and feet and voice for the Peace Corps on campus."
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