Hobart and William Smith Colleges

9 July 2026 • Service Biology Graduate Begins Peace Corps Service

Caroline Gannon '26 will teach English and support teachers as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Sri Lanka.

This fall, Caroline Gannon '26 will begin a 2-year position with the Peace Corps in Sri Lanka, where she will serve as an English teacher helping students improve language proficiency. She’ll also support local educators with teaching strategies tailored to their communities.

First, Gannon will complete three months of Pre-Service Training in Colombo, Sri Lanka's capital city. The intensive program focuses on language development, teaching methods and cultural immersion.

Gannon graduated with a B.S. in biology and environmental studies in May. On campus, she conducted summer research at the Finger Lakes Institute and in Associate Professor of Biology Kristy Kenyon's genetics lab, studied abroad in Wales and Australia, was a member of the William Smith golf team. She also served in numerous leadership roles as a Biology Teaching Fellow, Athletic Study Mentor, First-Year Seminar Mentor, Finger Lakes Institute Lab Technician, SpOArk Coordinator and student assistant in the Dean's Office.

She says her work through the Center for Teaching and Learning ultimately inspired her career path.

"My roles in the Center for Teaching and Learning were some of the most meaningful parts of my HWS experience and played a significant role in my decision to apply to the Peace Corps," Gannon says.

Another pivotal experience came during a short-term study abroad program in Wales led by Associate Dean David Mapstone ’93, P’21 focusing on the study of outdoor education. The program, which brings students into the Welsh countryside to study history, geology and language, expanded her concept of the classroom to include experiential, hands-on learning.

"I became deeply passionate about teaching and mentorship through these experiences and knew I wanted to continue that work immediately after graduation while those passions were still fresh," she says.

Although she considered several international volunteer and employment opportunities, Gannon says the Peace Corps' collaborative model made it the clear choice.

"I was inspired by their commitment to collaboration," she says. "Host countries invite the Peace Corps, and Peace Corps Volunteers work alongside local counterparts. I wanted to be part of an organization that prioritized local needs and customs to help develop skills and curricula that will continue to flourish long after my 27 months in the country."

As she prepares to leave for Sri Lanka in September, Gannon credits the relationships she built at HWS with preparing her for the challenges and opportunities ahead.

"I have truly experienced a relationship-rich education," she says. "Peers, professors, deans, coaches, bosses and President Gearan have all been invaluable in my development and acceptance to the Peace Corps."

Gannon says those connections have shaped her journey in profound ways. One of the faculty mentors who wrote a recommendation for her Peace Corps application, Professor of Biology Sigrid Carle '94, also has a connection to Sri Lanka, having studied abroad there as an HWS student.

"I am truly grateful for the relationships I have built at HWS and hope to carry all I have learned to the Peace Corps and beyond," Gannon says.