The University of Puget Sound in Tacoma is among three Washington state colleges that lead the nation in producing overseas volunteers, the Peace Corps says.
In rankings released Thursday, UPS was tied with Gonzaga University of Spokane among small colleges as the No. 1 producer of Peace Corps volunteers in the United States.
Right now, 18 UPS alumni are volunteering abroad through the Peace Corps, according to the university.
Those UPS graduates are serving in countries such as Cambodia, China, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Mongolia, the Philippines, and Senegal, university officials said in a news release.
“We are deeply proud of our graduates, who take on these leadership roles around the globe with a firm commitment to helping others and to enhancing their own understanding of the world,” said UPS president Ronald R. Thomas in a statement Thursday.
All told, 300 UPS graduates have volunteered through the Peace Corps since the the agency was founded in 1961, Thomas said.
Two other top producers of Peace Corps volunteers also are Washington institutions. Gonzaga University in Spokane also has 18 alumni currently serving overseas.
Meanwhile, among large colleges and universities, University of Washington has the most alumni serving in the Peace Corps, with 72 graduates volunteering.
In releasing their annual list of “top colleges” Thursday, Peace Corps officials noted they received a record number of applications from prospective volunteers last year. About 23,000 people applied for the Peace Corps in 2015, a 32 percent increase from the previous year, according to the agency.
“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,” Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet said in a news release.
