Maura Slocum ’16 is pictured in Senegal, West Africa.
With 14 alumni currently serving around the world, UMW ranked fourth among small schools on the 2018 Top Volunteer-Producing Colleges and Universities list released in February.
“It’s just a culture we have here at UMW,” said Assistant Director for Career and Professional Development Kyle Danzey. “I always go back to the history. Look at the founding of UMW. We were a teachers college. We’ve always had a tradition of … providing some kind of service.”
In all, 261 Mary Washington alumni have served in the Peace Corps since its 1961 founding.
UMW recently became a Peace Corps Prep program partner, and the first 16 students were to be inducted this spring. The certificate program combines targeted coursework, service-oriented fieldwork, and professional development to prepare students for future volunteer positions.