PEACE CORPS IN THE 21 ST CENTURY: A RHETORICAL ANALYSIS

143because “a lot of Mexican people were suspicious that they would get into other areas,like politics, that they didn’t want them getting into. They were suspicious that there wasa hidden agenda.” 257The organization sent 13 highly skilled volunteers into Mexico towork in specialized fields like chemical and environmental engineering. The relationshipwith Mexico presents an opportunity for the Peace Corps to develop programs that utilizespecific volunteer skills. This decision is likely to expand recruitment and make forbetter matches between applicants and their assignments. Since its inception, theadministration has largely focused its recruitment on liberal arts majors, but the Mexicopost is a sign of a shifting focus.Recruitment efforts, as noted in Chapter Two, have concentrated on generalrecruitment rhetoric. Even the targeted recruitment rhetoric directed at the elderly, noncollegegraduates, and people of color fails to recruit for specified job skills. The Mexicovolunteers may be an indication of changing times. If the Peace Corps makes a decisionto focus upon recruiting doctors, nurses, engineers, and agriculture experts, they willchange the face of the organization. The Brookings Institute’s Policy Brief on the PeaceCorps notes, “Virtually all developing countries have established education systems thatproduce well-prepared university graduates. All have sent students to the United Statesand elsewhere who have met the high standards of professional schools and havesuccessfully competed in the global marketplace.” 258Today more than ever, they need tosend experts into service.The recruitment strategies used in the 21 st century appeal to volunteers interestedin a break from the grind of daily life. As revealed in Chapter Two, the PSAs and website attract volunteers who are seeking adventure and rarely focus on service and helping