Currently, 47 MSU graduates are serving in the Peace Corps, which puts MSU at No. 14 in number of presently serving alumni.

Recruiter Dave Glovsky said this is because of the emphasis the university puts on studying abroad and learning new languages and cultures.

“The only way to get to know a culture is to live somewhere for more than just a few months,” Glovsky said. “Volunteers spend a lot of time learning the language and eating food most Americans won’t eat. Working alongside people and getting to know the problems of the community and working to fix that is a life-altering opportunity.”

Alumna Alison Inwood graduated in 2012 and traveled to The Gambia, a country in West Africa. There, she had to adapt to a life without electricity, running water, or the Internet.

Inwood said she had aspired to make a difference by joining the Peace Corps since she was 13.

She returned home to Michigan after serving for four months.

“I liked the fact that it was grassroots,” she said. “I really had to become a part of the community to be effective … I learned a lot about people, that no matter what circumstances people are there to help each other.”

Graduate student Ashleigh Burgess also served in West Africa in Senegal.

Burgess wanted to volunteer because she thought it was a good career opportunity and was interested in community service.

Burgess served for two years in the corps and was able to obtain college credit for her master’s program. Burgess said she first got involved by going to informational seminars on campus.

The on-campus Peace Corps recruiters plan to have public information seminars starting Tuesday, where they will inform interested students on what it is like and what it takes to be in the Peace Corps.

In addition to actively recruiting, the MSU Peace Corps office is teaming up with U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, to hold the Feed the Future Campus Food Security Tour, which will enlighten students on what Spartans and the Peace Corps are doing to insure safe, healthy food sources for developing countries.

“Food sources are essential to every part of the Peace Corps, making sure people are well-nourished and well-fed and agriculture resources are available are crucial to world development.” Glovsky said.

Peace Corps Acting Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet will congratulate MSU on being a top-ranking university on Wednesday as part of the Campus Food Security Tour.

“The same passion that launched the Peace Corps more than 50 years ago fuels progress in developing countries today, thanks to the leadership and creativity that college graduates bring to their Peace Corps service,” Hessler-Radelet said. “The unique Peace Corps experience helps recent graduates cultivate highly sought-after skills that will launch their careers in today’s global economy.”