UF ranked third among large colleges for the most Peace Corps volunteers.
The ranking, released Thursday, found UF had 59 Peace Corps volunteers last September. This put UF behind the University of Washington and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Volunteers in the Peace Corps do service work in other countries for 27 months.
Among the states, Florida ranked fourth, with a total of 299 volunteers. The University of South Florida ranked 16th among large colleges, and the University of Miami ranked 25th among medium-sized colleges.
The Peace Corps has six areas participants can volunteer in, including education, youth in development, health, agriculture, environment and community economic development.
Bobbi Stienmetz, the Peace Corps recruiter at UF, said she was not surprised the university ranked third.
“The things I’ve seen from the student population — it didn’t surprise me,” she said.
UF has consistently been in the top five schools and has sent students to volunteer with the Peace Corps for years, she said.
“UF is generally the top university in the state,” Stienmetz said.
Jaclyn Biedronski, a UF international studies and psychology senior, said she will travel to Mozambique this August.
There, the 21-year-old will teach English and focus on girls’ empowerment and education, she said.
Biedronski said she’s looking forward to immersing herself in the culture and interacting with locals.
“Everyone should learn more about the world in general,” she said.
