St. Lawrence Prepares Students for the Peace Corps and More

The Peace Corps Prep Program (PCPP) helps students gain a competitive edge in securing a Peace Corps position, but it also prepares them for a diverse array of job opportunities. The best part? Many St. Lawrence students complete most of the program requirements without even knowing it, thanks to the University’s dynamic liberal arts courseload and experiential opportunities.

“The PCPP really fits with what many St. Lawrence students are already doing, especially those who participate in off-campus programs,” says Robin Rhodes, director of ESOL and Multilingual Student Academic Support and PCPP program coordinator in the World Languages, Cultures, and Media department. Some seniors, she says, have applied for the program in the spring and finished before graduation as they are able to pull together courses and experiences they have already completed. They must still complete an interview and final paperwork before they receive the approval for the certification, Rhodes adds.

In part because of how well the PCPP plays into St. Lawrence’s liberal arts curriculum, the program has shattered enrollment expectations. “We were hoping to have around five graduates a year for the first three years, and we just graduated 11 in our fourth year of operation, so we are way above that,” Rhodes says. “It’s important to note that we are graduating more students with this distinction than schools that are much larger than St. Lawrence.”

The Peace Corps Prep Program consists of six different sectors—education, health, agriculture, youth development, community economic development, and the environment. Participants choose a sector of interest, then take three classes related to that sector. Additionally, participants complete 50 hours of paid or unpaid field work, which can include an internship or any other work related to their sector of choice. All participants must take three courses oriented towards developing intercultural competencies, and there are also leadership, resume, and interview components.

“The students who complete the program represent a wide spectrum of disciplines and backgrounds,” Rhodes says.

One of them, political science major Stella VanGee ’25, who studied abroad in Kenya, decided to get the PCPP certificate during the spring of her senior year after having Rhodes as a professor. Now, she’s in the process of applying to enter the Peace Corps.

“This journey didn’t just confirm that I want to join the Peace Corps—it showed me that I can,” Stella says.

Many of the students who take the PCPP apply for the Peace Corps. One of them, sociology major Ellie Richardson ’23, is now serving in Colombia. Another student, English and history major Lizi Barsness ’24, is serving in Namibia. These students and others help build on St. Lawrence’s legacy as a nationally ranked institution among small colleges and universities for the number of alumni serving as Peace Corps volunteers.

But the beauty of the PCPP is that it prepares students for a whole host of career opportunities.

“Going into the Peace Corps is not in my immediate future, but I believe there is a lot of value in the cross-cultural understanding that completing this program provides,” says Sydney Curley ’25, an environmental studies and government major.

Rhodes couldn’t agree more.

“In today’s job market, I think it’s important to have acknowledgements for work that’s already been done, and students can use this certificate to their advantage as they go on to apply not just for the Peace Corps, but for a wide range of careers,” she says. “In fact, we’ve had several international students complete the program even though they aren’t eligible to serve in the Peace Corps. Why? Because the certificate demonstrates their preparedness for work in international development, diplomacy, and all sorts of other careers of impact.”

Learn more about St. Lawrence’s Peace Corps Preparatory Program.