Carleton among Peace Corps’ 2020 top volunteer-producing schools

Carleton College ranks No. 16 among small-sized schools on the Peace Corps’ list of top volunteer-producing colleges and universities in 2020. This is the ninth consecutive year that Carleton has made the agency’s list. There are currently 10 Carls volunteering through the Peace Corps in countries around the world.

“These schools are institutions that emphasize being global citizens and service-minded students,” said Peace Corps Director Jody Olsen. “I am excited to know the graduates coming from Peace Corps’ top colleges are using their skills to make a positive impact on their communities at home and abroad.”

Since the agency’s founding in 1961, nearly 520 alumni from Carleton have served abroad as Peace Corps volunteers.

Alexander Welna ’16 served as an education volunteer in Armenia, where he shared Carleton’s “ubiquitous and wonderful frisbee culture” with students. He was introduced to the Peace Corps by his brother, Ben Welna ’13, who volunteered in Tanzania.

“Ben gave me my initial exposure to Peace Corps when I had visited him at his site in Tanzania,” Welna said. “Four years later, he and his wife (who he had met in Peace Corps Tanzania) came and visited me in Armenia! It was a surreal and beautiful experience comparing the similarities and differences in our service.”

About the Peace Corps
The Peace Corps sends Americans with a passion for service abroad on behalf of the United States to work with communities and create lasting change. Volunteers develop sustainable solutions to address challenges in education, health, community economic development, agriculture, the environment and youth development. Through their Peace Corps experience, volunteers gain a unique cultural understanding and a life-long commitment to service that positions them to succeed in today’s global economy. Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, more than 240,000 Americans of all ages have served in 142 countries worldwide.