From the very beginning of orientation, Boston College students are introduced to the idea that a Jesuit education is about gaining knowledge in order to help others. Recent trends indicate that BC students live up to the University's lofty mission.
With 35 alumni currently working with the Peace Corps, BC is the nation's 11th-ranked producer of Peace Corps volunteers among medium-sized schools. This is a continuation of a long tradition for BC graduates, as 635 overall have served in the Peace Corps.
This figure has sparked a proud reaction in the Boston College community. "I'm surprised, but impressed," says Stephanie Buscher, A&S '10. "I sometimes feel as if a lot of global issues can be drowned here at BC. There is always so much going on, and while there are some people who are very passionate about issues, it seems limited to dinner table discussions or in-class debates."
"At the same time, though, we don't spend our weekdays doing nothing. We work, we study, we volunteer. Our teachers know a lot about the world around us. They're not 'sit in my office' professors. They go out and see the world, and I think they inspire a lot of us to go out and help people."
Adriana Xanthoudakis, LSOE '09, was not surprised by the recognition. "It's not surprising. I think that BC graduates work in the Peace Corps because they encompass the values and morals that their BC education has instilled in them.
"I believe that it is very commendable and important that BC graduates go on to work in the Peace Corps," she continued. "It fits what we're all about."
"I think it's great," says Alex Fowler, A&S '07. "I think this happened for a few reasons. Mainly, it's because BC students and graduates make a great effort to live up to the ideals of service to the community, which obviously is a big part of Jesuit education. For many people, this is one of the things that appealed to them when they applied to BC. But also, we can't overlook some economic reasons: most BC students are from a middle-class or better backgrounds and it's easier for them to take a couple years off and work for the Peace Corps."
The University of Washington produces the most Peace Corps volunteers of any school, with 110 currently serving. Boston University is 10th in the large school category with 68 serving.
The top 10 in the medium schools category are: George Washington University, the University of Virginia, Cornell, Western Washington University, Georgetown, William & Mary, Montana, American University, UC-Santa Cruz, and Northern Arizona University. Three other New England schools appear in the top 25: Brown and New Hampshire 17 with 27 each, and Rhode Island in 23rd with 23. Dartmouth is the sole New England representative in the small schools list, with 25 volunteers.
According to the Peace Corps Web Site, "Today's Peace Corps is more vital than ever, working in emerging and essential areas such as information technology and business development, and committing more than 1,000 new Volunteers as a part of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Peace Corps Volunteers continue to help countless individuals who want to build a better life for themselves, their children, and their communities."
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