Giving Peace a Chance
Kenyon alumni have embraced the Peace Corps, and the College now ranks eighth nationally among small colleges and universities with sixteen alumni volunteers.
A rankings report released by the Peace Corps on Tuesday also notes that 220 Kenyon alumni have served at some time in the Peace Corps, whose mission since 1961 has been to promote world peace and friendship and a better understanding between Americans and people of other countries.
Volunteer Samantha Hoeffler '09 is an agriculture volunteer in Senegal. Her work includes helping at school gardens, sharing nutrition initiatives, and participating in field crop training.
"Attending Kenyon opens many doors, and after finishing a teaching fellowship in France, I approached my former Kenyon professors for guidance regarding my next step," Hoeffler said in an interview with the Peace Corps. "Even though it had been three years since I'd attended Kenyon, I received support, advice, and encouragement from them. When I eventually decided the Peace Corps was the right decision for me, they were as happy for me as my family and friends were."
More than 8,000 volunteers representing more than a thousand colleges are working with communities in 76 host countries on sustainable development projects related to agriculture, community economic development, education, environment, health and youth development.
Peace Corps veterans on campus include Writer-in-Residence P.F. Kluge '64 and Chief Business Officer Mark Kohlman.