Peace Corps recruits at U.

"How far are you willing to go to make a difference?" asks the front cover of the Peace Corps brochure. The nearly 100 Penn students that attended a Peace Corps information session last month asked themselves that very question. Peace Corps recruiters Leslie Jean-Pierre and Brian Kane spoke to the group, answering questions and addressing concerns. "How close were you to a phone?" asked one student. Jean-Pierre just smiled. Each year, about 12,000 to 13,000 Americans apply to join the Peace Corps, a government agency that places volunteers in social, economic and human development projects worldwide. Sixty to 70 percent of volunteers are fresh out of college, though there is no age limit for applicants. Volunteers serve for two years, and depending on their educational backgrounds may be placed in programs ranging from health education to animal husbandry, in the middle of a city or in the middle of nowhere. While volunteers do not receive a salary, they do receive a stipend to cover food and other necessities. They also receive full medical coverage and a "readjustment allowance" of $5,400 upon return to the United States. Applicants are carefully reviewed for education, previous work and volunteer experience. They are also assessed medically and must be interviewed by a Peace Corps recruiter. "We're looking for someone who is flexible, open-minded and willing to learn," Jean-Pierre said. "Basically, we'll work with you as a team to find a program." Interest in the Peace Corps, especially among college students, is growing steadily. Nursing graduate student Kristyn Leftridge, who served in Morocco from 1991 to 1993, joined the Corps to see the world. "I had never been anywhere, never really seen anything. There were days that rocked and there were bad days, but every day was an adventure, every day was different," Leftridge said. Like many returned volunteers, Leftridge describes her experience as "life-changing." "I was pre-med in college, but after my service, I decided nursing was more appropriate," she said, recalling the impact her nursing work in Morocco had on her. "After my service, I realized how important family is to me," said Kane, who quit his job on Wall Street to join the Corps. "It was the highlight of my life." Volunteers also said that they took as much away from the experience as they added. "I went in thinking I would change the Third World, and it actually changed me," said Richard Haavisto, an Anthropology doctoral student who served in Mauritania from 1979 to 1981. "It was positive but painful. We lead a sanitized life, away from death. I watched people starve. Here, there are always solutions." Prospective volunteers express some common fears, including being alone without support and becoming ill. "People think, What am I getting myself into? They're scared of the unknown," Jean-Pierre said. "Our No. 1 priority is the safety of our volunteers. The only people who have regrets are the people who don't go." For more information on the Peace Corps, go to the organizations's World Wide Web site at http://www.peacecorps.gov.