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Swelling Ranks

Cavs step forward for Peace Corps

The next time you get the urge to yell, “We’re No. 1. We’re No. 1,” think of the Peace Corps.

For the fifth time in six years, UVA supplied more Peace Corps volunteers than any other medium-size college or university in the nation. Last year, 72 graduates made commitments to serve in the program, returning the University to its No. 1 spot after slipping a notch the year before.

“This achievement is an important reflection of the quality and commitment of our students,” says Leigh B. Grossman, UVA’s vice provost for international affairs.

The University is poised to go over the 1,000 mark in volunteers this year, according to the Peace Corps. Since the program started in 1961, UVA has provided 938 of the more than 190,000 volunteers who have served in 139 countries.

Currently, more than 8,000 volunteers, a 37-year high, are serving abroad in the Peace Corps.