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St. Olaf remains a state, national leader for 2005 Peace Corps volunteers

By Carole Engblom
February 1, 2005

Each year college graduates from around the country answer the call to service and become Peace Corps volunteers. In the state of Minnesota, St. Olaf College is currently tied for 2nd place (with Gustavus Adolphus in St. Peter) in the number of alumni (19) serving in the Peace Corps; the University of Minnesota is ranked first. Nationally, St. Olaf is tied for 16th place (again with Gustavus Adolphus) for small colleges and universities providing volunteers (19) to the program. There are no other Minnesota colleges in the Peace Corps' Top-25 list of colleges and universities producing volunteers.

"The diversity of alumni serving as volunteers - coming from all backgrounds and regions of the country - has helped the Peace Corps represent the true face of America," says Peace Corps Director Gaddi H. Vasquez. "We are pleased that so many graduates have taken the journey to make the world a better place for all of us to share."

Since the Peace Corps was founded in 1961, more than 421 St. Olaf alumni have served in the program. Nationally, more than 178,000 volunteers have served in the Peace Corps, working in such diverse fields as education, health, HIV/AIDS education and prevention, information technology, business development, the environment and agriculture. Volunteers are sent to more than 130 countries around the world and during their 27-month service they help fight hunger, disease, illiteracy and poverty and help create new opportunities for people in these countries.

Contact Carole Engblom at 507-646-3271 or leigh@stolaf.edu.