MACON — A LaGrange student at Mercer University has been selected to serve the Peace Corps following graduation this spring.

Taylor Jolly, from LaGrange, is a global health studies major with minors in anthropology, political science and statistics.

She will serve as a community health education volunteer in the Southeast Asian nation of Cambodia, where she will work alongside local partners to build the capacity of Cambodians to fulfill their health-related needs.

After completion of her 27-month Peace Corps term, Jolly plans to pursue a master of public health degree. She has already been accepted to programs at Boston University, Tulane University, the University of Pittsburgh and Emory University.

“As I start my career in global health, I need to continue to face global health challenges in practice,” Jolly said. “My acceptance to the Peace Corps will allow me to experience the everyday inequalities communities face, to understand individual communities, to understand how culture influences health care and to experience growth in the field that I am unbelievably passionate about while serving alongside a global community.”

As an undergraduate, Jolly has served as vice president of the Student Government Association and received the Bear Award for Outstanding Student Involvement.

“Every year, some Mercer students carry their experience of service and learning in Macon forward to address issues of global need through service in the Peace Corps,” said David A. Davis, director of fellowships and scholarships and associate professor of English. “Taylor and (fellow chosen student) Heaven (Woods) are part of an important legacy of Mercer students who are working to change the world, and I encourage more students to follow their example.”

The Peace Corps, established by President John F. Kennedy in 1961, is a volunteer program administered by the U.S. government to send the best and brightest Americans abroad to tackle the most pressing needs of people around the world. More than 220,000 Americans have served in 140 countries, and currently, more than 6,900 volunteers are serving in 63 countries. For more information, visit www.peacecorps.gov.