Alums work for peace

The Peace Corps annually releases a list of the top 25 schools that produce the most volunteers, and this year, Boston College tied with Miami University for the number seven position in the category of medium-sized universities. Since the Peace Corps began in 1961, 679 BC alumni have volunteered to spend the required 27 months abroad. Last year, 39 members of the class of 2008 pledged service to the Peace Corps. The increased amount of BC volunteers in recent years indicates that the Jesuit ideal of "men and women for others" extends to life after college.

The Peace Corps categorizes schools according to the size of the undergraduate student body. BC is categorized as a medium-sized school, with a population between 5,001 and 15,000. The highest ranking medium-sized university this year is George Washington University. The Peace Corps has experienced a 16 percent increase in applications this year, the largest increase in five years. BC is not the only Catholic university on the list, but it is the highest ranked, with Georgetown University at number nine and the University of Notre Dame at number 13.

"The Peace Corps relies heavily on the graduates of contributing schools from across the country. Their education and experiences add to the diversity of the Peace Corps and its success in the host countries," director Ron Tschetter said in a press release. "Currently, there are over 3,000 colleges and universities with alumni serving as Peace Corps volunteers in 76 countries worldwide. We want to thank the schools and the graduates for their continued dedication to the mission of the Peace Corps."

The numerous volunteer programs on BC's campus may have inspired its members to continue their service even after graduation. Volunteer programs such as PULSE and 4Boston focus their service efforts on the greater Boston area, but just as many organize regular trips across the country and around the world. Appalachia volunteers sponsor an annual spring and summer trip to impoverished communities in several states on the Atlantic seaboard.

Appalachia members also must attend meetings throughout the year to better understand the communities where they will be working. "We also require a day of service in Boston in addition to our yearlong meetings," said Rob Dellinger, Appalachia leader and CSOM '09. "The big thing with Appalachia is that it targets freshmen and sophomores and is often one of their first service experiences," Dellinger said. "We hope to inspire them to go on and do other programs and make service more of a lifestyle change."

Another service group on campus is the Campus Ministry sponsored Arrupe International program. Arrupe International sponsors a number of faith-based international immersion programs, each of which includes a trip during winter break, spring break, or the summer. Most of the programs travel to developing countries in South America or the Caribbean. The trips are never longer than two weeks, but this is the campus group that offers an experience most similar to the Peace Corps, which is immersion in a foreign country and community. "BC has a spirit of service and Arrupe, along with a number of other programs, provides opportunities for those who participate to see what the need is in other places around the world," Arrupe Program Director Kelly Sardon-Gerrity said. "BC, as a whole prepares people and sparks an interest in service so it is a cumulative effect that fosters service," Sardon-Gerrity said.

Many BC seniors who are interested in service after college can find help at the Volunteer and Service Learning Center, which assists students, staff, and faculty who are seeking opportunities to serve in the greater Boston area, creating a network between existing student service and immersion organizations and helping departments in their efforts to offer safe, high-quality experiences for those who want to serve others.

University Spokesman Jack Dunn released a statement in response to the publication of the Peace Corps' list: "The number of BC alumni who serve in the Peace Corps, and as public servants elsewhere, is reflective of the time-honored Jesuit mission of encouraging students to develop their God-given talents and use them in the service of others. A principle of Jesuit education is for its graduates to affect the social order by being leavens of good for wider society. Serving in the Peace Corp is one way to accomplish that lofty goal," Dunn said.