Michigan State University has once again been recognized as one of the top 10 large colleges and universities — institutions with more than 15,000 undergraduate students — producing the most Peace Corps volunteers.
As the preeminent international service organization of the United States, the Peace Corps sends Americans abroad to tackle the most pressing needs of people around the world. Since the program’s founding in 1961, more than 2,000 alumni from MSU have served abroad as volunteers, placing it at No. 6 among large volunteer-producing institutions.
“MSU has long been committed to fostering an environment where students are encouraged to think critically and engage deeply with the world around them, and the remarkable number of our alumni who serve in the Peace Corps is a testament to this commitment,” said Steven Hanson, vice provost and dean for International Studies and Programs. “It’s inspiring to see so many Spartans making a positive impact across the globe, and we are proud to play a role in their journey toward becoming leaders for a better world.”
In preparation for the return of in-person volunteering, MSU launched a Peace Corps Prep program in the fall of 2021. One of three such programs in Michigan, its goal is to empower participants to grow in important intercultural areas identified by the Peace Corps while also integrating coursework with hands-on experience and professional development.
“Peace Corps Prep offers students education with a global perspective and allows them to deepen their skills in the area(s) they hope to serve in as Peace Corps volunteers. This certificate program is a great asset to our campus and to developing global Spartans," said Joy Campbell, MSU Peace Corps prep coordinator.
Here’s what MSU students and alumni have to say about their Peace Corps experience:
Jimmy Schneidewind is an alum of MSU’s James Madison College and a graduate of Waverly High School in Lansing, Michigan. He was a Peace Corps volunteer in Mozambique from 2007 to 2009 and now works for Population Services International, a nonprofit global health organization.
“The two biggest influences on my decision to become a Peace Corps volunteer were my family and MSU. For my family, I was a fourth-generation volunteer, so I was quite familiar with Peace Corps from an early age. That said, I don’t think I had any intention of becoming a volunteer before my time at Michigan State. MSU made it very easy for me to cultivate my commitment to community service and challenge myself in ways that made me believe I was capable of taking on the most challenging experience I thought was available to me: Peace Corps.”
Mike Lindhout, senior director for international advancement at MSU, was a small business development volunteer for the Peace Corps in Nicaragua. He’s also worked for the Peace Corps in a variety of other roles, including master trainer, director of programming and training, and acting country director in Nicaragua. He’s also served in an acting capacity in Kyrgyzstan, Eastern Caribbean, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Peru and Belize.
“My experience at MSU changed the trajectory of my entire life. I had an assignment for a speech class my freshman year where I was asked to critique a public speaker. A Peace Corps campus recruiter came to Landon Hall, and a friend of mine who was interested in applying invited me to come along. I have little recollection of my assignment for speech class, but I was amazed by what I heard from the recruiter. I made a silent pact with myself to apply for Peace Corps service upon graduation.
“Peace Corps prepared me for a rewarding career in nonprofit management and international development because it taught me how to listen, reflect and connect with people all around the world. My MSU business degree prepared me for Peace Corps by teaching me management, language, budgeting and planning skills that I used every day during my Peace Corps career. Before attending the recruiting session in Landon Hall, I had never met a Peace Corps volunteer and since then I’ve recruited multiple people to take the next step in applying to Peace Corps.”
Caitlin Barker is a doctoral candidate in the Department of History studying modern African and Chinese history and a Peace Corps campus recruiter. She served as a Peace Corps community health volunteer in Cameroon.
“Many MSU students are very interested in other cultures and in finding a way to immerse themselves in a global experience. I joined the Peace Corps Recruiting Office to help strong candidates connect with a Peace Corps opportunity that could be a good fit for them. It is my hope that Peace Corps will prove as formative and enriching for my students as it was for me.”
Kyle Enger served as a rural health and sanitation volunteer with the Peace Corps in Morocco from 1997 to 2000. He earned bachelor’s degrees in zoology and microbiology and a doctorate in epidemiology from MSU, as well as a master’s of public health from the University of Michigan. Enger currently works as an analytics consultant with Medical Advantage in East Lansing.
“My MSU undergrad education was biology and lab focused, which I loved, and a biodiversity course in Brazil made me want to deeply experience other cultures, so I signed up for Peace Corps. Helping rural people in Morocco with family planning, water wells and dental care showed me what ‘public health’ was and helped me get a good scholarship for my MPH at the University of Michigan. Then, I was hired to work in immunization for the state of Michigan by another returned Peace Corps volunteer. My service has paid me back year after year, tangibly and intangibly.”
Vorice Patterson is a 2024 master’s of public health graduate and has been invited to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guinea.
“One thing I truly appreciate about my MPH education that I will take to the field is how application-based my education was. It wasn’t just learning from the textbook; I was drafting new intervention ideas, creating budgets and researching health disparities. Although it felt like tough work at the time, I will be able to take these skills with me to develop and implement new ideas that address the health concerns of my service area. Additionally, I know the relationships I have built here with my mentor and other professors will carry on and I will still have the support I need to get through any dilemmas I may face. I’m super excited for this opportunity! I look forward to the personal and professional growth I will experience as a result.”
Maddi Mahar is a recent graduate with a degree in social work. She hopes to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer in South Africa.
“Michigan State University has played a prominent role in my pathway of success. MSU allowed me to major in social work and study Zulu, an African language, during my time. Those topics connect greatly with the sector I will volunteer in while being in the Peace Corps. I found inspiration to become a primary English school teacher while studying abroad in South Africa last summer on a Fulbright Hayes scholarship, which supports research and training efforts focused on non-Western foreign languages. The sense of community and love at MSU, the School of Social Work and the African Languages program within the Department of Linguistics, Languages and Cultures is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life, especially when I am volunteering in South Africa.”