Former Peace Corps volunteers, current members, and their families joined Rep. Sam Farr and UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal for a spirited reception and film screening Monday at the University Center Alumni Room.
The event was initiated by Farr to honor UCSC's contribution to the Peace Corps last year--the campus produced 52 volunteers, second among all medium-sized colleges in the nation.
The chancellor received an award from the Peace Corps for the campus's outstanding contributions to the 48-year-old service organization. Following the reception, the guests were invited to attend a film screening about the life of Peace Corps founder Sargent Shriver.
"Serving in the Peace Corps is the most rewarding experience an individual can have as a representative of our country somewhere else in the world," Farr noted at the reception. "And we've found that people gain an incredible amount of self-confidence learning how to adapt to another culture," he added.
