Western celebrates Peace Corps Week with special campus events

Western Today staff

February 25, 2014

Western Washington University is celebrating Peace Corps Week by holding two special campus events on Feb. 27. Peace Corps annually marks its anniversary by scheduling campus and community activities that celebrate its commitment to service. During this time, returned Peace Corps volunteers share their inspirational stories and personal experiences of service overseas.

“This is a great opportunity for students to get a taste of the Peace Corps from so many different countries in one place,” said Susan Anderson, a returned Peace Corps volunteer and WWU Career Counselor.

  • Peace Corps “Around the World” Fair; February 27, 3 to 4:30p.m., Miller Hall Collaborative Center: Returned Peace Corps volunteers will share their stories, photos and mementos from overseas service during this informative session. Volunteers who served in Azerbaijan, Ivory Coast, Thailand, Russia, Mali, Senegal, Dominican Republic, Lesotho, Cape Verde, Palau, Ukraine, Swaziland, Morocco, and Bolivia will attend the fair. A question and answer session will follow the presentation.
  • Peace Corps “Life After Service” Panel; February 27, 5 to 6 p.m., Communications Facility Building, Room 110: Meet a distinguished panel of returned Peace Corps volunteers who will discuss how Peace Corps service helped shape their personal lives and professional careers. A question and answer session will follow the presentation.

The Peace Corps recently announced its top producing schools of volunteers who have answered the call to serve. For the second consecutive year, WWU was ranked No. 1 among medium-sized schools, with 65 alumni currently volunteering worldwide.

Over the past decade the university has been ranked seventh or better each year among medium schools nationwide. Since 1961, 914 alumni from WWU have traveled abroad to serve as Peace Corps volunteers.

To receive updates about further upcoming events in the area visit peacecorps.gov/info or “like” the Peace Corps at Western Washington University Facebook page: www.facebook.com/PeaceCorpsWWU. For more information about the Peace Corps, contact WWU campus representative Jill MacIntyre Witt at 360.650.3017 and peacecorps@wwu.edu.