As jobs have become more scarce, the number of applicants for the Peace Corps has nearly doubled this year at the University and on a national level.

The Peace Corps is a government organization that sends volunteers abroad to work on projects such as education, agriculture and youth outreach. Elizabeth Durkin, president of the Peace Corps office at the University Career Center, said the economic downturn was mostly responsible for the increase in applications. The number of applicants received so far at the University has increased from 25 last year to 40 this year, and nationally there has been a 40 percent increase, Durkin said. U.S. News & World Report recently reported that only 19 percent of students were able to find jobs right after college. Because of this, many graduates are turning to alternative programs, such as the Peace Corps, Durkin said.

“When the obvious answer is not in front of you, you tend to think outside the box.” Durkin said, “The Peace Corps is an alternative program that has an overall positive experience.”

Katelynn Poore, Topeka sophomore, said she planned on applying to the Peace Corps next year. She said she had been interested in different cultures since she was 12, and said she wanted to be able to teach overseas.

“I want to be able to teach and have good field work experience,” Poore said. “When I get out, I know it will open doors in other fields and give me an advantage in the work field.”

Durkin said the process to get into the Peace Corps was extensive, and could take up to a year depending on how long the health check took.

“One issue that people are running into is that they have to wait a year,” Durkin said. “While waiting to be accepted, the candidates are, for the most part, on their own.”

Poore said that she was aware of the long application process and that she would apply to the Peace Corps her junior year, so she could be ready to go right after graduation.

Kyle Carter, 2009 graduate, applied to the Peace Corps in early May and is waiting to hear whether he has been accepted. He said he would probably not leave until next spring, and in the mean time is working full-time at Garmin International Inc., a navigation equipment company in Olathe.

“It’s hard finding viable jobs right now; businesses are most likely to cut than hire,” Carter said. “The Peace Corps will give me great opportunities, but it’s like ‘Congrats, you’re nominated’ but you still have to wait to be shipped off.”

Alexandria Clark, 2009 graduate, is in the process of filling out her application. The economy is a part of why she is joining the Peace Corps, along with her desire to study abroad,.

“I am really looking into the Peace Corps because I want to make an impact, plus nobody is hiring right now,” Clark said. “The only downfall is I have to wait so long.”

Clark said she planned to work on a dairy farm outside of Lawrence, and to live with her parents during the waiting process.

Dylan Porter, Iola senior, is in the process of applying to the Peace Corps and is working on his health check. He said he didn’t think the economy was responsible for the increased number of applicants. Rather, he said, there was an increased awareness of other countries in need.

Porter said he had experience working with other countries such as Uganda, where he helped set up an orphanage for underprivileged children. Porter said that he would be working in Eastern Europe for the Peace Corps and that he planned on finishing his teaching degree while there.

“I have always wanted to teach abroad and this is a definite opportunity for me,” Porter said. “I have had the opportunity to help out struggling countries, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and knew that I needed to return to a place in need of assistance.”

Durkin said both the awareness of other countries and the economic benefits helped increase the appeal of the Peace Corps. While abroad, the organization pays for transportation and provides a stipend for living expenses. Health care costs are taken care of as well, and there are paid vacation times where the volunteers are allowed to go back to the U.S. to visit family and friends. Also, volunteers can leave the program and go back home while abroad if they are unhappy.

If a volunteer completes the 27 months abroad, the Peace Corps will provide $6,000 to help with job-search expenses back in the U.S.

“The Peace Corps has a lot of benefits.” Durkin said, “However, there is a lot of competition right now. The application process is taking longer because of the increase in applications. We are happy about the increase, but there is only a certain amount of places to send people.”

— — Edited by Jesse Rangel