A recent Hobart and William Smith graduate will begin Peace Corps service in Sri Lanka this fall, teaching English and supporting local educators. Caroline Gannon, a 2026 graduate, will serve for 27 months after completing pre-service training in Colombo.
Gannon graduated in May with degrees in biology and environmental studies, according to Hobart and William Smith.
Her Peace Corps work will focus on helping students improve English language proficiency and assisting local teachers with strategies tailored to their communities. Before beginning that work, she will complete three months of training in language development, teaching methods and cultural immersion.
Gannon said her work through the Center for Teaching and Learning helped inspire her career path. She also cited a short-term study abroad program in Wales, where students explored outdoor education through history, geology and language, as a formative experience.
At HWS, Gannon conducted summer research at the Finger Lakes Institute and in Associate Professor of Biology Kristy Kenyon's genetics lab. She also studied abroad in Wales and Australia, played on the William Smith golf team and served in several campus roles, including 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.
Gannon said the Peace Corps' collaborative model, in which host countries invite volunteers and volunteers work with local counterparts, was central to her decision to apply.
She is expected to leave for Sri Lanka in September.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to news@fingerlakes1.com.