Currently eight Fresno State alumni serve for Peace Corps

This year, eight California State University, Fresno alumni have served in different charities around the world for the Peace Corps. Last week, the organization visited Fresno State̢۪s campus to recruit more students to volunteer.

Peace Corps̢۪ regional recruiter, Jennifer Clowers, interviewed students who were interested in joining the organization in hopes to travel to poverty stricken countries.

With more than 8,000 volunteers serving in 76 countries, the Peace Corps has a reputation around the globe for serving people in Third-World countries and with people who need assistance with income sources, better health care and education for children.

Candidates who want to join the Peace Corps must meet the minimum requirements such as being at least 18 years of age, a U.S. citizen and should be in good health. Those requirements are just the general necessities for volunteers, but the Peace Corps have special needs in certain programs.

Competitive candidates need to have degrees in agriculture, health, business and environmental science.

With agriculture being the main focus of the organization, there is a huge need for students who major in agricultural business and education, animal husbandry and plant sciences. Why agriculture?

The Corps’ public relations specialist Nathan Hale Sargent said, “Students from the agricultural disciplines help communities overseas improve their standard of living through greater and more sustainable crop yields, soil conservation, better marketing, income generating activities, and much more.â€Â

The Peace Corp assigns volunteers to teach prevention classes for people in countries with high HIV/AIDS rates. One of the numerous programs made available to students with health related majors.

“Among other majors, we’re also looking for nursing students or students who are majoring in health and nutrition for public health and education and our prevention programs,â€Â Clowers said.

Education is also being emphasized this year since the Peace Corps have been looking for math and English teachers. This is not limited to students who are seeking teaching credentials. Clowers said that those who are majoring in engineering or science can always qualify to tutor math abroad.

Fresno State ranks twelfth among the 23 California State University schools for the number of alumni in service.

One of the alumni is a Smittcamp Family Honors College honor student, Jennifer Murphy, who graduated from Fresno State in 2007 with a degree in Mass Communication and Journalism.

Murphy is currently waiting to be stationed in Ethiopia where she will serve as a community HIV/AIDS volunteer. Murphy already has experience in volunteering she served in AmeriCorps which is the domestic version of the Peace Corps. Now, she̢۪s excited to go on a volunteer mission abroad.

“I’m hoping to learn how to adjust to a new situation,â€Â Murphy said, “I’ve never been to Africa. I’ve never been far from home. I’ve never been an outsider in another country. I want to learn to contribute in the community and in the end, get a positive impact out of this.â€Â

Another Fresno State alumna is Lea Garza. She graduated in 2005 with a degree in Liberal Studies and was assigned to serve in Nicaragua last year along with her husband, Jaime.

Garza served in an agriculture program focusing on food and sustainability. There, she and her husband started a business for the women in the village by giving them a grinding machine to help them grind corn. With this machine, the women were able to bake and sell corn goods, and were able to provide additional income to their families.

“The men in the village only make about $2 a day, so with the help we provided them, the women were able to help provide for their families,â€Â Garza said. “It was a life changing experience and I’m not the same person as I was before. I really feel that we came out as better people for doing it.â€Â

Peace Corps recruiters will be back in Oct. 7 and 8 to set up a booth in the science fair for those who are interested in serving less fortunate communities.

“It’s a big challenge, but we know Fresno State students are up to the task.â€Â Sargent said.