The Peace Corps is one of the most well-regarded government organizations around. The organization sends highly qualified American citizens to spend two years serving in underdeveloped countries. These volunteers serve for 27 months, using their skills to help these countries meet their needs in the areas of education, health, business, agriculture, environmental concerns, and the prevention and treatment of HIV and AIDS.

It’s no surprise that, as Joshua Rhodes, regional recruiter for the Peace Corps said, “There’s not a whole lot of people who have a problem with what we do.”

It’s also no surprise that the University was quick to point out that in 2011, it was one of the top schools for Peace Corps recruits for the 11th year in a row.

Much is made of the important work that the Peace Corps does in its host countries around the world. It provides its volunteers a fresh outlook on life, and a personal and professional network of volunteers that they can draw on for the rest of their lives.

Ashlee McLaughlin, on-campus recruiter for the Peace Corps and graduate student in FAA, said that a stint in the Peace Corps is a good resume booster.

“It’s a great thing to be able to point to. To be able to say ‘I worked for the federal government for two years in an underdeveloped country,’” she explained.

McLaughlin also explained some of the more direct professional benefits that come from working for the Peace Corps. Returned volunteers can attend exclusive job fairs and sign up for newsletters that show job listings specifically for them.

McLaughlin added that, on top of exclusive job offers, returned volunteers are eligible for something called non-competitive eligibility. This is a term used when referring to government jobs, and it means that the candidate in question goes to the front of line when they are looking to fill a new post. So if a Peace Corps candidate is qualified for a job, they’ll have an interview set up before the employer has even looked at the other candidates applications.

Holly Curia, senior in LAS, is currently in the process of applying for the Peace Corps. If she gets in, she sees her service directly befitting her professional career.

“I’m leaning towards doing something in cross cultural human rights. I definitely think the Peace Corps will help a lot with that,” she explained. “It’s also great just for social reasons. If you’re new to a city, reaching out to former volunteers is a great way to get in touch with some people.”

The tendency of former volunteers to network is one of the reasons the University consistently sends so many volunteers, according to Rhodes. He said that returned volunteers are eager to encourage other people to serve.

“There are several professors here that served. They have their own professional stuff so we don’t necessarily see them a lot. But if we send out an e-mail saying we’re looking for volunteers, they’re pretty willing to talk to their classes about their experience,” Rhodes explained.

Even volunteers that don’t stay plugged in to this network still draw on their experience for the rest of their lives. Tod Satterthwaite, senior in LAS, served in Grenada from 1989 to 1991. He had been involved in local politics before he served, and entered the fray again when he came back. He served as the mayor of Urbana from 1993 to 2005, and said his time in Grenada provided invaluable perspective.

Satterthwaite said that serving in another country forces you to consider perspectives other than your own, because almost everyone’s perspective is different from yours.

“It made it easier to deal with conflicts in politics,” he explained. “It made it easier for me to understand that … I see things this way and not that way, and other people see things that way, and not this way, and that we have to come to an agreement.”

The Peace Corps doesn’t just trust that this network of volunteers will spring up organically. They work actively to foster connections and camaraderie among current, future and former volunteers and their families.

On Thursday, March 3rd, the McLaughlin and Rhodes hosted a gathering at La Casa Cultural Latina in Urbana. The get-together was in honor of University students that have been selected to serve in the Peace Corps. Three university alumni who are currently serving were connected to the party via Skype, and former volunteers living in the area also came.

McLaughlin said that the event was meant to foster a feeling of unity among the Peace Corps community.

“It’s just meant to be in honor of the future volunteers, to let them know that we’re all excited for them, and to see them off,” she said.