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St. Olaf takes No. 2 slot in Peace Corps rankings

By Kari VanDerVeen
February 5, 2013

St. Olaf College moved up to the No. 2 spot this year on the annual Peace Corps list of top volunteer-producing colleges and universities.

Last year the college ranked third among schools enrolling fewer than 5,000 students (St. Olaf enrolls 3,000). With 22 alumni currently serving overseas as Peace Corps volunteers, this year St. Olaf is second only to Gonzaga University, which has 24 volunteers in the field.

St. Olaf has been a consistent player on the list since the ranking system began in 2001 and remains a solid source of individuals committed to making a difference at home and abroad. Since the Peace Corps was established in 1961, 496 St. Olaf graduates have served in the organization.

The 22 Oles currently serving in the Peace Corps are stationed in Benin, Cambodia, China, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Guinea, Liberia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Romania, Senegal, Togo, and Zambia.

More than 8,000 Peace Corps volunteers representing all 50 states and more than 1,000 colleges are working with communities in 76 host countries on sustainable development projects related to agriculture, community economic development, education, environment, health, and youth development.

Contact Kari VanDerVeen at 507-786-3970 or vanderve@stolaf.edu.