5 Recent Knox Graduates Join Peace Corps

Five recent Knox College graduates are heading to countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America to serve in the Peace Corps.

Most of them participated in Knox's Peace Corps Preparatory Program, which features a curriculum designed to prepare students to serve in the Peace Corps or in international service. The program includes coursework in international studies, education, and foreign language study, as well as a community service project or opportunity to study abroad.

Nearly 60 Knox students have gone through the Peace Corps Prep Program, including 15 students now enrolled, said Knox faculty member Robin Ragan, the program's director.

"Knox College is about making a difference and setting up students for success in the world," said Ragan, who also is associate professor of modern languages (Spanish) and director of the Eleanor Stellyes Center for Global Studies. "We saw an opportunity to do both of those things through this unique partnership with the Peace Corps and the specific curriculum we coordinated together."

Knox has a long tradition of sending graduates to the Peace Corps. To date, roughly 200 Knox graduates have served as Peace Corps volunteers. 

The five recent Knox graduates joining the Peace Corps are:

• Celestina Agyekum '12, an educational studies major, who will serve in Burkina Faso.
• Tanya Novotnak '11, a double-major in psychology andFrench, who will serve in Benin.
• Tanvi Madhusudanan '13, a double-major in psychology and international relations, who will serve in Thailand.
• Laura Thompson '13, a Spanish major, who will serve in the Dominican Republic.
• Alex Uzarowicz '13, a double-major in political science and international relations, who will serve in Central America (exact location to be determined).

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