Peace Corps ranks UNC Asheville 11th among small schools in the nation 

Press release from UNC Asheville:

UNC Asheville has been ranked by the Peace Corps as one of the top-producing colleges for alumni now serving as volunteers in the organization. The university is No. 11 among small schools in the nation.

“UNC Asheville students and alumni strive to apply their undergraduate liberal arts education in meaningful ways, and service with the Peace Corps is a wonderful example of the worldwide impact that we have,” said UNC Asheville Provost Joseph Urgo. “Peace Corps volunteers do vital work in communities around the globe, and our graduates find it a fulfilling extension of the civic engagement and hands-on experience that they gain on our campus.”

Omosalewa Oyelaran ’02, a biology major, is one of those graduates. Having completed her master of public health, she served three years in Botswana working on HIV/AIDS prevention and testing at the community and national level. Her tasks included designing health education and youth empowerment programs, managing community health educators, working with support groups, and coordinating strategic planning for district and national prevention programs.

“Peace Corps requires an ability to adapt and problem solve, and being at UNC Asheville provided not only a niche community but also opportunities for gaining the leadership, critical-thinking and problem-solving skills necessary to overcome challenges that any volunteer may face in a new setting. The liberal arts education not only prepares you academically but also to address the world beyond the mountains,” Oyelaran said.

According to the Peace Corps, UNC Asheville now has 10 alumni serving around the world. This is the first year that UNC Asheville has been included in the ranking.

“The Peace Corps is a unique opportunity for college graduates to put their education into practice and become agents of change in communities around the world,” Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet said. “Today’s graduates understand the importance of intercultural understanding and are raising their hands in record numbers to take on the challenge of international service.”

Emma Bussard ’13 is currently serving in the Peace Corps and is working as a community health advisor in the village of Bondo, in Mulanje, Malawi. She has been in Africa for two years and closes service at the end of April, with plans to stay in Africa for several more months afterward.

“I’m fulfilling my dream—livin’ it up in a third world country and doing work with the purpose of helping others as best I can,” Bussard said in a blogpost. “I get to walk outside my door every day and experience a culture different than the one I grew up in—one that challenges, frustrates, empowers, and invigorates me. Every day is a giant question mark of what I’ll get into for the day, who will come visit me, what kind of surprise cultural lesson I’ll learn, what food I’ll find in the village, or what bug I’ll find in my house.”

This ranking from the Peace Corps comes just a few weeks after UNC Asheville was named the No. 1 university in the nation for “Making an Impact” by The Princeton Review. That list considers community service opportunities, as well as graduates with high job meaning, both characteristics exemplified by the alumni serving in the Peace Corps.

The Peace Corps ranks its top volunteer-producing colleges and universities annually according to the size of the student body. For the full list of top-producing colleges and universities, visit peacecorps.gov.