More than 270 alumni have served in the Peace Corps since it was established in 1961. Faculty members have also been volunteers. We are proud of our tradition to service, and our milestone. In 2016, Peace Corps ranked Geneseo as number 14 in the nation among all medium-sized schools for active volunteers. We are honoring our Peace Corps volunteers with a scrapbook. Read their memories and share your stories with us.
SUNY Geneseo is ranked No. 13 among medium-sized schools on the Peace Corps’ 2019 Top Volunteer-Producing Colleges and Universities list. Currently, 22 Geneseo alumni are volunteering with the worldwide program.
Geneseo is ranked 14th nationwide for alumni currently serving in the Peace Corps. We explore why so many make the leap and the difference they make.
My name is Ray Rizzo and I am a Peace Corps volunteer. This is the first time I have actually said (or typed) that in English! I have the privilege of serving my two-year Peace Corps service in San Sebastián de Yalí, Jinotega, Nicaragua, a town of approximately 27,000 people who reside in rural communities.
When I introduce myself in Senegal, I tell people my name is Mata Dia, the name my host family gave me when I began my Peace Corps service as a Community Economic Development volunteer. In America, I’m better known as Jessica Kroenert, adventure seeker, dog enthusiast, and Geneseo grad, class of 2015.
In the Peace Corps, I learned that I can live in another culture, figure out what the key features are, and be resourceful and work within that culture to be successful. These are the same core values and skills I have used throughout my life. You had to be able to make your own projects, and find your own satisfaction.
The Peace Corps was always on my radar, but it wasn’t until after I took Humanities II in Nicaragua as a junior through Geneseo that it became a very real plan for after graduation. The trip forever changed my outlook on the world, and the path that I saw myself taking in the future.
One perspective I gained is to know that it's ok when things don't work out as you planned. You simply use that experience and learn from it. And, perhaps the outcome is actually something better or more effective than what you originally planned.
I learned so much that it's hard to say what the one most valuable lesson was.
The former Peace Corps volunteer created a new business model for a beauty staple that empowers women.