Chrissy Boryenace, the University's Peace Corps recruiter,
served in the Peace Corps in Paraguay.
Photo: Greg Grieco
Chrissy Boryenace,
the University's Peace Corps recruiter,
served in the Peace Corps in Paraguay.
Photo: Greg Grieco
By Bill Campbell
Special to Intercom
Chrissy
Boryenace knows first-hand what a life-changing experience the Peace Corps can
be.
And, as Penn State's Peace Corps recruiter, she has helped the University move to fourth place nationally among colleges and universities with students currently serving as Peace Corps volunteers.
The latest official rankings show Penn State, which was ranked 12th nationally last year, tied with the University of Texas at Austin with 72 graduates serving as volunteers. The University of Wisconsin at Madison is first with 117, followed by the University of Colorado, 91, and the University of Michigan, 78. In a letter to President Graham B. Spanier, Mark Schneider, Peace Corps director, said the University's effort "is an outstanding contribution to the Peace Corps' legacy of service around the world and reflects the high caliber of the students who attend your institution."
Boryenace, a Purdue graduate who served in the Peace Corps in Paraguay, said Penn State currently has 80 alumni serving as Peace Corps volunteers and has had 985 volunteers since the inception of the Peace Corps in 1961.
"With interest in the Peace Corps remaining high, we expect to top the 1,000 mark in volunteers by this fall," she said. "Despite the economy and the availability of jobs, we find many students looking toward Peace Corps service. Some are unhappy with their career choice after graduation and want to take some time out to decide if that field is what they really want. Others want to see the world and give something back."
Jack Rayman, director of Penn State's Career Services and himself a Peace Corps alumnus, believes there is more interest among current students in service learning than in recent years.
"Since we are in the throes of an economic boom that we have never seen, many current students see there is more to life than making money," he said. "We are in a period of more altruism.
"Also, there is a greater interest in globalization and international travel. Being a Peace Corps volunteer is a very low-cost way to obtain serious international experience. You learn a great deal and get immersed in and have an understanding of another culture. And, until you experience another culture, you aren't able to really understand your own culture."
Peace Corps volunteers undergo three months of training and then serve two years in a designated country.
Boryenace, whose undergraduate degree was in botany and plant sciences, worked with poor farmers in Paraguay, helping to identify and eradicate crop diseases and increase production. She also taught nutrition and cooking classes to help the farmers make more use of the vegetables they grew. After completing her service she traveled for four months in South and Central America. When she returned home, she decided to change careers and enrolled at Penn State as a graduate student in special education.
"It's not unusual for Peace Corps volunteers to change career goals after their experience," Rayman said. "In fact, my experience in the Peace Corps caused me to go into higher education and spend my career in a more service-oriented field.
"Being a Peace Corps volunteer is a life-changing experience in many different ways. Most volunteers say it was of major importance in their lives. I think it changes you probably as much as anything could. It makes you appreciate more of the basic things in life."
Under a graduate assistantship jointly funded by the Peace Corps and Career Services, Boryenace spends 20 hours a week interviewing students and answering questions about the Peace Corps. She also conducts information sessions and makes presentations to student clubs and classes.
"Our volunteers come from a wide variety of majors, including education, industrial relations, health, business, agriculture, international politics and the sciences," she said. "Most Penn State students are interested in South or Central America or Africa because of the strong language skills they have acquired at Penn State or because of other course work taken at the University. Most want a more active role and a more hands-on experience."
"We actively recruit for the Peace Corps at Penn State," added Rayman, who was instrumental in moving the Peace Corps position to Career Services where it can be seen by students who are undecided on a career or who are interested in international exposure.
"Students who never thought about Peace Corps service are exposed to the possibility as they move through Career Services. It is much more visible. Over the last three years we have significantly increased the number of applicants and the number of those who have been accepted for Peace Corps service. We clearly are pleased with that."
The Peace Corps recruiting effort at the University also is strongly supported by area Peace Corps veterans.
"There are some 100 former Peace Corps volunteers living in the area, many of whom are associated with the University," Boryenace said. "Many participate in panel discussions, outline their experiences and field questions from current students interested in the Peace Corps. They help us a great deal in our recruiting efforts."
Rayman has a strong attachment to the Peace Corps. His wife, Barbara, assistant to the dean and foreign student adviser in the Office of International Programs at Penn State, served with him as a volunteer in Malaysia, and his daughter, Jamie, currently is teaching high school chemistry and physics in Axim, Ghana. He believes interest in the Peace Corps will continue for the foreseeable future.
"Not everyone has altruistic intentions, but I think the fascination with internationalism, worldwide travel and different cultures will continue," he said. "This is driven partially by the fact we are seeing more of the world because of the news media. Students have gotten more exposure to it in recent years and they want to experience it. On the other hand, there's always been a group of people driven by altruism."
Students, faculty or staff members interested in the Peace Corps should call Chrissy Boryenace, at (814) 865-2377, or stop by Career Services in 413 Boucke Building, University Park.