Northwestern has been ranked in the Peace Corps’ 2017 list of top volunteer-producing colleges and universities, ranking 21st with 15 volunteers, according to a University news release.

Since the Peace Corps was founded in 1961, 953 Northwestern alumni have volunteered abroad, according to the release. NU volunteers have worked on solutions to address challenges in education, health, economic development, agriculture, environment and youth development in developing countries, the release said.

Elizabeth Waldron, who is pursuing her doctorate in clinical psychology at NU and served in the Peace Corps from 2012 to 2014 in Paraguay, said in the news release that the University teaches appreciation for different cultures through a large number of international groups and events on campus, as well as a commitment to inclusivity.

During her time in Paraguay, Waldron founded and directed a leadership camp for young men. She used sports to increase youth participation and teach and reinforce life skills such as responsibility, self-esteem, domestic violence prevention, gender and diversity appreciation and men’s sexual health, she said in the news release.

“Through my projects and day-to-day interactions, I most enjoyed seeing the youth grow into understanding, confident and self-compassionate individuals and I realized I was doing the same,” Waldron said in the release.

Peace Corps director Sheila Crowley said in a Peace Corps news release that the organization provides college and university alumni the opportunity to use creative thinking skills they developed in school to make an impact in communities around the world.

“Many college graduates view Peace Corps as a launching pad for their careers because volunteers return home with the cultural competency and entrepreneurial spirit sought after in most fields,” Crowley said in the release.

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