According to new data released by the Peace Corps, UNH and New Hampshire continue to turn out Peace Corps volunteers in high numbers. In 2015, the University of New Hampshire ranks ninth among medium-sized schools in the country, with 24 alumni currently volunteering worldwide. In 2014, UNH ranked eleventh.
Weare, N.H., native and UNH alumnus Thomas Leary is serving as a sustainable community development volunteer in the Kyrgyz Republic. He says “Kyrgyzstan is known for its hospitality and I have certainly benefited from that. There are so many impressive people in my host community and I feel especially optimistic when I see the ambition of the youth backed up by action.”
Brian Kraus '13 is serving in the Dominican Republic as a business advising volunteer. He’s helping his host community with coral reef restoration projects.
“My host village is a fairly touristy town and so is filled with people from cultures all over the world, yet it’s managed to maintain a distinctively Dominican character,” says Kraus. “It has developed rapidly with the growth of tourism in the region and my work has allowed me to play a small part in ensuring that this economic growth continues to be both socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable.”
New Hampshire ranks fifth among states with the highest number of Peace Corps volunteers per capita, with 57 Granite Staters serving overseas. Since the Peace Corps was established in 1961, 1,687 volunteers from New Hampshire have traveled abroad to serve, living and working in developing countries.
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Written By:
Tracey Bentley | Communications and Public Affairs
