NIU students with a strong sense of civic duty and a thirst for adventure may want to consider the Peace Corps as an option after college. However, they should start applying now, said Scot Roskelley, public affairs specialist for the Peace Corps’ Chicago regional office.

NIU has eight graduates serving in the Peace Corps and has had 389 total representatives in the Peace Corps’ history.

Roskelley said there is a long process to apply and once one starts, it may take six months to a year to get an answer regarding one’s admission status.

Nevertheless, Roskelley said everyone can find something that suits them in the Peace Corps.

“People who are involved in the Peace Corps widen their perspective of themselves, their country and poverty,” he said.

The Peace Corps was created in 1961 under the direction of President John F. Kennedy. During its 43-year history, the group has had more than 170,000 volunteers and participants have been invited to over 136 countries. Currently, there are 7,733 volunteers and trainees in the Peace Corps.

“It’s a way of promoting a good face for America abroad,” said recruiter Ken Surdin, who was a volunteer in Morocco from 1997-99.

Volunteers work in one of six different specialized areas within the Corps, Roskelley said. These include: teaching, health education, agriculture, environmental education, business consulting and community development.

The Peace Corps requires a 27-month service commitment, in which volunteers receive a monthly stipend to cover housing, food and other expenses. Upon completion of service, volunteers receive $6,075.

Students interested in obtaining more information about the Peace Corps may attend an informational meeting at the Chicago regional office on the third Thursday of every month, Roskelley said. The office is located at 55 W. Monroe St., Suite 450 in Chicago. Representatives will be at NIU beginning February 28, but only intend to stay one to two days, he said.

Although Roskelley acknowledges the benefits of the organization, he cautions that it is not for everyone.

“You have to have a certain sense of adventure and some degree of flexibility,” he said. “A desire to help other people is a must.”

For more information on the Peace Corps, visit www.peacecorps.org.

– Helen E. Wycoff, 64, is serving in Samoa as a computer science volunteer.

– Meghan L. Butler, 24, is serving in Guinea as a community development volunteer.

– Shuman Chehade, 24, is serving in Namibia as a high school teacher.

– Valerie J. Ebel, 26, is serving in the Republic of Azerbaijan as an English teacher.

– Robert M. Hill, 33, is serving in Cameroon as an agriculture volunteer.

– Peter W. Luisi-Mills, 35, is serving in Bangladesh as a community development volunteer.

– William A. Nicholls-Wozniczka, 61, is serving in Jamaica as a business

advising volunteer.

– Beth A. Wells, 28, is serving in Samoa as a business advising volunteer.