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Minnesota has the second-highest education level in the U.S. as measured by the scholarship research website Scholaroo.com.
根据奖学金研究网站Scholaroo.com上的数据，明尼苏达州的教育水平在美国排名第二。
A representative from Scholaroo told VOA Learning English that the state has a high percentage of residents with advanced degrees.
Scholaroo的一名代表告诉美国之音慢速英语，该州拥有高等学位的居民比例很高。
It is ranked above Connecticut and just behind Massachusetts overall.
它的排名高于康涅狄格州，整体水平仅次于马萨诸塞州。
The state is number one in the percentage of residents with doctoral degrees, Schoolaroo says.
Schoolaroo称，该州拥有博士学位的居民比例排名第一。
The top study programs there are in education, medicine and law.
那里顶尖的学习项目是教育、医学和法律。
VOA Learning English talked with students and college supporters to learn why they think Minnesota is a good place for higher education.
美国之音慢速英语采访了学生和大学支持者，了解他们认为明尼苏达州是高等教育的好地方的原因。
Akhil Kollengode is an undergraduate student at the University of Minnesota-Rochester.
Akhil Kollengode是明尼苏达大学罗切斯特分校的本科生。
He is in a new program that offers an undergraduate degree in two and a half years compared to the traditional four.
他正在参加一个新项目，该项目提供的本科学位只需要两年半的时间，而传统的本科学制需要四年。
His study program is in health sciences.
他的学习项目是健康科学。
It is called NXT GEN MED, which deals with medical administration.
这个项目被称为NXT GEN MED，主要研究医疗管理。
He hopes to move from studying to working at the nearby Mayo Clinic, a well-known hospital based in Rochester.
他希望从学习转向在附近的梅奥诊所工作，这是一家总部位于罗切斯特的知名医院。
"It is a big reason why I chose to stay in Minnesota," he said.
他说：“这是我选择留在明尼苏达的一个重要原因”。
Kollengode is in his second year of college.
Kollengode现在在读大学二年级。
He said he and his classmates saw how the COVID-19 pandemic took away some of the in-person college experience from their older friends.
他说，他和他的同学们看到了新冠疫情是如何剥夺了他们的一些年长的朋友面对面的大学体验。
He said, "We felt a little more motivation because we understood how much it could be taken for granted."
他说：“我们感到更有动力，因为我们明白这些体验是很容易被忽视的。”
He also saw the example of his parents working in the medical field and wanted to follow their path.
他也看到了父母在医疗领域工作的例子，想要追随他们的脚步。
Kollengode said many young people in Minnesota think they can only reach their goals by moving away.
Kollengode说，明尼苏达州的许多年轻人认为他们只有离开家才能实现他们的目标。
"These younger students are always told 'oh everything is so good when you leave home and when you can finally live on your own.
“这些年轻学生总是被告知‘哦，当你离开家，当你终于可以独立生活的时候，一切都会变好。
But you can do all of those things when you're still in your hometown.
但你在家乡也可以做到所有这些事情。
Saving money, getting the same education and sometimes maybe better education if you're in your hometown."
省钱，接受同样的教育，如果你在家乡，有时还可能会得到更好的教育。”
Lori Carrell is the chancellor, a top official, at the University of Minnesota-Rochester.
Lori Carrell是明尼苏达大学罗切斯特分校的校长，也是该校的高级官员。
She said a number of universities in the U.S. are part of a new program testing "college in three."
她说，美国的许多大学是一个新项目的一部分，该项目测试的是“三年制大学”。
It aims to get students a degree in three, not four years.
它的目标是让学生在三年而不是四年内获得学位。
She said many students in the U.S. are questioning the value of college because of the cost.
她说，由于学费的问题，许多美国学生质疑大学的价值。
They also are concerned about finding a good job when they finish.
他们还担心在毕业后能否找到一份好工作。
Schools like hers are working to help students complete their degrees with a good job and not a lot of debt.
像她的学校这样的学校正在努力帮助学生在找到一份好工作的同时完成他们的学位，而不是背负大量的债务。
Students stay in school all year and work at the Mayo Clinic, which is close by, Carrell explained.
Carrell解释说，学生们全年都在学校学习，并在附近的梅奥诊所工作。
She said, "We need people to come to Minnesota."
她说：“我们需要人们来明尼苏达。”
"There are a lot of needs for people with advanced degrees in Minnesota, making this three-year undergrad option even more attractive."
“明尼苏达州有很多需要高学位的人，这使得这个三年制本科的选择更具吸引力。”
Once people finish their undergraduate degree, she said, they can move on to advanced degrees and find a good job in Minnesota.
她说，一旦人们完成本科学位，他们就可以继续攻读更高的学位，并在明尼苏达州找到一份好工作。
Students from other states like Minnesota, too.
其他州的学生也喜欢明尼苏达州。
Siya Sakhardande came from Texas to study psychology at the University of Minnesota's main campus, in Minneapolis and St. Paul, known as the "twin cities."
Siya Sakhardande来自得克萨斯州，在明尼苏达大学的主校区（即双城区的明尼阿波利斯和圣保罗）学习心理学。
She said she considered schools in California, Michigan and the rest of the U.S.
她说，她考虑过加州、密歇根州和美国其他地区的学校。
But the combination of a strong educational program and a good financial aid offer brought her to Minnesota.
但强大的教育项目和良好的经济援助使她选择了明尼苏达州。
She said she and her classmates consider undergraduate degrees just the start.
她说，她和她的同学们认为本科学位只是个开始。
"I plan to go to law school.
“我打算去读法学院。
I have friends who want to go to medical school at the university.
我有朋友想读医学院。
I have friends who want to get their master's and their graduate degrees at the university.
我有朋友想在大学获得硕士和研究生学位。
The university definitely encourages that and like uses whatever resources they can to like, help us plan a future and a career beyond just going to school there."
大学肯定会鼓励这样做，并尽其所能使用各种资源来帮助我们规划未来和职业生涯，而不仅仅是在那里上学。”
But she also said the school wants students who come from families that might not be considering college.
但她也表示，学校希望那些来自可能没有考虑上大学的家庭的学生能来。
Sakhardande noted the university's scholarship for Native American students, called the Native American Promise Tuition Program.
Sakhardande指出，大学为美洲原住民学生提供奖学金，名为“美洲原住民承诺学费计划”。
It started last year. The university says it pays for 100 percent of school fees for students from recognized Native American tribes in Minnesota.
该计划始于去年。大学表示，其为明尼苏达州认可的美洲原住民部落的学生支付100%的学费。
In addition, Sakhardande helped with a recent campaign by a state lawmaker to push the state to pay low-income students' costs for attending a Minnesota public college.
此外，Sakhardande最近还帮助一位州议员推动该州为就读明尼苏达州公立大学的低收入学生支付学费。
She said the North Star Promise scholarship program will make sure all students in Minnesota think about college.
她说，北极星承诺奖学金计划将确保明尼苏达州的所有学生都考虑上大学。
The state senator who worked on the project was Omar Fateh, whose district is in Minneapolis.
参与该项目的州参议员奥马尔·法塔赫所在的学区位于明尼阿波利斯。
He said he is not surprised Minnesota ranks high in education.
他说，他对明尼苏达州的教育水平排名很高并不感到惊讶。
"Minnesotans have long seen the value of higher education as a path to economic mobility," he said.
他说：“长期以来，明尼苏达州人一直都看到了高等教育作为经济流动性的途径的价值。”
Fateh said it is important to make higher education possible for all students in the state.
法塔赫说，让该州所有学生都能接受高等教育是很重要的。
He said the scholarship he is supporting can be used at both two-year and four-year colleges.
他说，他支持的奖学金可以用于两年制和四年制大学。
Fateh's parents were immigrants from Somalia.
法塔赫的父母是来自索马里的移民。
His father came to the U.S. to study at Montana State University.
他的父亲来到美国后在蒙大拿州立大学学习。
He grew up in Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia.
他在华盛顿特区和弗吉尼亚州北部长大。
But he was not a good student in high school.
但他在高中时并不是一个好学生。
He said he was saved by a school program.
他说，他是被一个学校项目拯救的。
"... a program called the Pathways Program, which recruited students that were deemed to be 'at risk youth' into Northern Virginia Community College.
“……一个名为“Pathways Program”的项目，该项目招收被认为是‘处于风险中的青少年’进入北弗吉尼亚社区学院。
That's why I'm a big supporter of community colleges because I believe it really it really helped me and saved me."
这就是我大力支持社区学院的原因，因为我相信它真的帮助了我，拯救了我。”
Carrell said Minnesota clearly values higher education: "There's a great appreciation for advanced degrees and higher education in the state of Minnesota."
Carrell说，明尼苏达州显然重视高等教育：“在明尼苏达州，人们非常欣赏高等学位和高等教育。”
She added that education leaders there feel a responsibility to give students a good ROI, or return on investment, for their time in school.
她补充说，那里的教育领导者觉得有责任为学生在学校的时间提供良好的投资回报率。
Sakhardande thinks students from inside and outside of the U.S. should consider Minnesota schools.
Sakhardande认为，来自美国国内外的学生都应该考虑明尼苏达州的学校。
"It's just a little bit less recognized than states like California and the Ivy Leagues. But I think once you get to Minnesota, you understand that there are great things to do here."
“明尼苏达州的学校只是比加州等州和常春藤联盟的学校少一些认可度。但我认为一旦你来到明尼苏达州，你就会明白这里有很多很棒的事情可以做。”
I'm Dan Friedell.
丹·弗里德尔为您播报。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
