Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter will visit Carleton College on Tuesday, April 8, with a public reception in Carleton's Severance Great Hall from 12 noon - 1 p.m.
Carleton is the lead producer of Peace Corps Volunteers in Minnesota among small colleges and universities, with 22 alumni currently serving overseas. The school ranks fifth in the nation in its category. In the same category, St. Olaf College ranks ninth in the nation, which jumped nine spots from last year. Today, 19 St. Olaf alumni are currently serving overseas.
During his visit, Tschetter will meet with Carleton President Robert A. Oden Jr. and with St. Olaf College President David Anderson. Tschetter will greet faculty, staff and students along with returned volunteers from the area at the public reception.
Tschetter is the 17th director of the Peace Corps. He was nominated by President George W. Bush and unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate on September 13, 2006. Tschetter is the third director in the Peace Corps' history to have served as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Tschetter and his wife, Nancy, were Peace Corps Volunteers in India from 1966-1968, where they served as community health workers. Improving the lives of others has been a life-long passion of Tschetter.
In 2006, Carleton ranked second in the nation among small colleges and universities with 29 alumni volunteers and a total of 447 Carleton alumni have served in the Peace Corps since 1961. In that same time, 446 St. Olaf alumni have joined the ranks. Since 1961, 5,720 Minnesotans have served as Peace Corps Volunteers. Right now, 235 Minnesotans serve in every Peace Corps sector: Agriculture, Business, Environment, Health & HIV/AIDS, and Youth Development.
The Peace Corps is celebrating a 47-year legacy of service at home and abroad. Since 1961, more than 190,000 volunteers have helped promote a better understanding between Americans and the people of the 139 countries where volunteers have served. There are over 8,000 Peace Corps volunteers serving in 74 countries, marking a 37-year high in the number of volunteers. Volunteers must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years of age. Peace Corps service is a 27-month commitment. Visit www.peacecorps.gov for more information.
