MSU is full of internationally minded students and our ranking as one of the nation's top 10 producers of Peace Corps volunteers is a perfect example of that.

Our school is globally focused, which can be seen by MSU's Study Abroad program, one of the largest in the country. We send students all over the world to study almost every possible subject. Now, it's evident this inclination for expanding our horizons carries past college education and into our graduates' lives. MSU graduates are using the information they learned at this school to construct positive change around the world.

Former MSU President M. Peter McPherson is probably one reason this school has such an international focus. As president, McPherson made international experiences a priority. He worked to increase the size of the Study Abroad program and really encouraged students to partake in international experiences, so it is no surprise he has been a strong supporter to the Peace Corps. He actually volunteered in Peru in the 1960s.

It also must be noted that nine of the Big Ten schools appeared in the list of top 25 Peace Corps volunteer producers. People in the Midwest, it seems, want to step outside of the bubble they grew up in and expand their experiences and adventures to other places.

Graduates who join the Peace Corps also must have a large heart and be selfless to a certain degree. Volunteers might counsel teenagers in Belize or promote HIV/AIDS awareness in Malawi. Others might teach in a one-room schoolhouse or set up a computer center in Armenia. Corps volunteers are giving up part of their lives to make other people's lives better.

When it comes down to it, we should be proud of our graduates who look to the world and give their time and resources to promote better living for people they have never met. They are helping making a positive name for MSU, one that shows we are caring and internationally considerate people.