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Sarah Rasmussen of Sisseton is named Fulbright Scholar for 2001-2002

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May 31, 2001

NORTHFIELD, Minn. ? Sarah Rasmussen of Sisseton, S.D., is one of four recent St. Olaf College graduates who were named Fulbright Scholars for the 2001-2002 academic year.

Rasmussen will use her Fulbright to study theater arts in Norway, concentrating on race relations and cultural identities through the lens of theater. Fulbright Scholarships cover transportation, tuition and fees and room and board, and provide a monthly stipend.

Rasmussen graduated from St. Olaf College on May 27 with a double major in theater and English. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa; sang with the St. Olaf Chapel Choir; and is a member of Theta Alpha Phi, theater honor society. She has been active in St. Olaf Theater productions, directing this year?s senior show, "How I Learned to Drive," and performing in "Sweeney Todd" and "Twelfth Night."

Rasmussen traveled twice with St. Olaf College international studies programs. She studied theater and arts in London and took part in the Global Semester as a junior.

In addition to the four recent graduates who were named Fulbright Scholars, one year 2000 graduate was selected as a scholar and two other students were named Fulbright alternates. Another St. Olaf student is a candidate for a yet-to-be-announced Fulbright Scholarship.

The Fulbright Scholarship program, administered by Congress, is intended to foster mutual understanding among nations through educational and cultural exchanges. The program is funded by an annual Congressional appropriation and contributions from participating countries.

The program started shortly after World War II, when Arkansas Sen. J. William Fulbright proposed an annual scholarship to "provide the opportunity for future leaders to observe and better comprehend the institutions, cultures and societies of other countries and peoples." Congress approved the program, and President Harry S. Truman signed it into law in 1946. Since then more than 83,000 "Fulbrighters" have studied, taught or performed research in 140 countries.

The Fulbright application process is extremely rigorous, according to St. Olaf College English faculty member John Day, the college?s Fulbright program advisor. In addition to an application and a language skills evaluation, each candidate must write two essays and provide three letters of recommendation. Candidates first must pass an on-campus screening, then an evaluation by a national panel of experts, and finally a screening by the candidate?s host country.

For the last several years St. Olaf has produced at least four Fulbright Scholars each year.

St. Olaf College prepares students to become responsible citizens of the world, fostering development of mind, body and spirit. A four-year, coeducational liberal arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), St. Olaf has a student enrollment of 2,950 and a full-time faculty complement of approximately 300. It is one of Money Guide?s top 100 "elite values in college education today," and it leads the nation?s colleges in percentage of students who study abroad.

Contact Michael Cooper at 507-786-3315 or cooperm@stolaf.edu.