University of Mary Washington Student Follows in Footsteps of Other Peace Corps Eagles
By Hank Silverberg
CORRESPONDENT
Five alumni from the University of Mary Washington are now working around the world with the Peace Corps, and that puts the school among the top ten small colleges nationwide for producing volunteers for the long- standing American effort to help other nations and make friends abroad.
UMW graduates are serving in Albania/Montenegro, Columbia, Costa Rica, Senegal and Timor-Leste, continuing the effort that began with the establishment of the Peace Corp in 1961. More than 270 UMW graduates have been involved since then, and the university has appeared on the volunteer-producing college list since 2005 for colleges with less than 5,000 students.
Except for the pandemic year, UMW has been in the top ten for more than a decade. This year it was ranked tenth, in a tie with a number of other colleges. One of the reasons is the university’s Peace Corps Prep Program, which is part of the Center for International Education and helps undergraduates get ready for international service roles.
The latest Peace Corps volunteer from UMW is 2025 graduate Jessica Oberlies of Greensboro, North Carolina. She will turn 22 later this month before leaving to serve in the Philippines as a coastal resource officer. She studied marine ecosystems, environmental science, and Spanish while at UMW and took trips to Guatemala to work with women in rural communities in her preparation for her Peace Corps work and a trip to Spain. The prep program emphasizes foreign language proficiency, intercultural competence, and leadership skills, but Oberlies did not fully immerse in that program, choosing instead to concentrate on science.
Oberlies told The Advance she chose the Peace Corps because she is interested in “connecting science to people.” Right now, she does not even know where in the Philippines she will be stationed for the next 27 months. “I don’t even know how to speak the local language (Tagalog) but I can learn it,” she said. “I am grateful to have the next step,” she said “unlike many college graduates,” noting that her parents are fully supporting her decision.
She had originally planned to go into teaching, and she says that may still happen.
The Peace Corps
The Peace Corps now operates in 60 countries. It was established by President John F. Kennedy to promote better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans. According to the agency’s website the “volunteers exchange skills and knowledge with community members to help create change through work.” That includes agriculture, economic development, the environment, and the health of the population. It has operated in 144 different countries over the years.
But the Peace Corps may be facing severe cuts. The Hill reported last month that DOGE may cut 25 percent of the 200 staff members now working abroad, affecting more than 3,000 volunteers currently serving abroad.
None of that phases Oberlies. She says she’s been told her cohort of 45 people are set to go no matter what.
More than 240,000 volunteers have served in the Peace Corp since 1961. Among the more notable Peace Corps alumni are former U.S. Secretary of Health Donna Shalala, former U.S. Senators Chris Dodd and Paul Tsongas, Reed Hastings the co-founder of Netflix, and two members of Jimmy Carter’s family, his mother Lillian and his grandson Jason. Other notable Peace Corps alumni include JFK’s nephew and former congressman Joe Kennedy, and Ben Bradlee, the Pulitzer Prize winning Journalist and former Executive Editor at The Washington Post.
Prior to the DOGE cuts, the Peace Corps had a budget of about $430 million.
Support the Advance with an Annual Subscription or Make a One-time Donation
The Advance has developed a reputation for fearless journalism. Our team delivers well-researched local stories, detailed analysis of the events that are shaping our region, and a forum for robust, informed discussion about current issues.
We need your help to do this work, and there are two ways you can support this work.
Sign up for annual, renewable subscription.
Make a one-time donation of any amount.
Local Obituaries
To view local obituaries or to send a note to family and loved ones, please visit the link that follows.
This article is published under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND. It can be distributed for noncommercial purposes and must include the following: “Published with permission by FXBG Advance.”