Peace Corps participation increases
By Maria Lemus
Jan. 14, 2009 4:29 a.m.
While most of his fellow graduating students entered the work force or transitioned into their respective graduate schools, UCLA alumnus Saman Kashani did something unconventional after graduating from UCLA.
Kashani, feeling burnt out by school, moved to Suriname, South America. He lived there for a little more than two years in affiliation with the Peace Corps, where he assisted local physicians.
Kashani is just one example of UCLA alumni participating in the various Peace Corps programs around the world, thus causing the university to climb six spots last week in the “Peace Corps Top Colleges and Universities” annual list.
“It’s a great experience for anyone who is interested in international travel,” Kashani said.
UCLA now claims position as the No. 17 university evaluated by the number of former students engaged with the Peace Corps program, said Kate Kuykendall, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Regional Recruitment Office. The list ranks the 25 colleges and universities with the strongest history of service. There are more than 3,000 institutions participating with the organization, Kuykendall said.
“The movement says a lot about UCLA as an institution and says a lot about the graduates. It demonstrates that they have a commitment to service and a global perspective,” she said.
Kashani was able to get his host region a grant from the country’s government that would provide tracking supplies to surrounding clinics. He said he was inspired to do this by the lack of organization that the clinics demonstrated.
“My primary project was building in their general health. However, I took a secondary project as I helped a Dutch NGO (non-governmental organization) count sea turtle nests in their attempt to figure out the number of sea turtles living in the area,” he said.
Currently, 50 UCLA alumni serve as volunteers in 34 countries where the Peace Corps assists. A higher number of UCLA volunteers serves the Dominican Republic, Panama and Paraguay, Kuykendall said.
The Peace Corps is a federal agency that was founded in 1961. It provides assistance to overseas communities while promoting a better understanding of America and the countries that are served, she said.
“Peace Corps is a great adventure for students who are interested in working abroad, building their resume and challenging themselves through service,” said Tori Wilson, a Peace Corps recruiter at UCLA, in an e-mail statement.
Kuykendall said the annual ranking helps recognize the schools and students who are making the agency successful. In the case of UCLA’s position, it was one of the biggest jumps among the universities, she said. The Peace Corps application rate increased 16 percent in 2008, which has been the most in five years, Kuykendall said.
She said, “It has less to do with what the Peace Corps is doing and more with what the students are interested in, which is global development.”
Kuykendall added that today’s students are focused in service and are mission-driven, which helps to generate volunteers.
Los Angeles diversity has had a significant effect on the rising of UCLA in the ranking, she said.
The volunteers from California, which ranks as the state with the most volunteers in the Peace Corps, and especially those from Los Angeles, provide the experience necessary for working with host countries.
This is because they are able to handle challenging situations, Kuykendall said. Each Peace Corps program is a 27-month-long commitment. About 94 percent of the volunteers have a bachelor’s degree, and each is required to have some form of volunteer or employment experience.
“During the first week, I thought, “˜I don’t know if I’m going to make it,'” Kashani said. “But then I got to build amazing friendships as I became part of a group that was more like a close-knit family.”
Although the Peace Corps is an organization recommended to all who qualify, Kashani stressed that people should not partake in the program if they are looking for a way to develop their independence. He said prospective volunteers must be confident in themselves before they can successfully help others abroad.
Kashani said, “With the Peace Corps, you have stories to tell for the rest of your life.”
