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Title: St. Olaf College is Peace Corps' Top Volunteer ELCA NEWS SERVICE NEWS BRIEF August 8, 1997 ST. OLAF IS PEACE CORPS' TOP VOLUNTEER For the second consecutive year St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn., has been named the top collegiate source of Peace Corps volunteers, based on the number of its graduates who joined in 1996. St. Olaf is one of 28 colleges and universities of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Twenty-nine St. Olaf graduates volunteered for the Peace Corps in 1996, ranking St. Olaf first among colleges with 5,000 or fewer students. The volunteers -- 21 of them 1996 graduates, plus eight who graduated in previous years -- are working in 20 countries. Overall St. Olaf tied 56th among 200 colleges and universities tracked by the Peace Corps. Thus far 16 St. Olaf students have applied for Peace Corps admission in 1997, putting the college on track for another number one ranking, according to David Belina, Minneapolis regional Peace Corps manager. The strong showing prompted The Wall Street Journal last month to cite St. Olaf as the leader of an apparent national trend toward more Peace Corps applicants. The newspaper pointed out that St. Olaf saw a 15 percent increase in Peace Corps inquires by seniors in 1997. For information contact: Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask] http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html