VOA标准英语2010年-America's Global College Forum

"Having all kinds of people in class, I am learning from people with different experiences," Steve said.

No matter where Steve Maina Muchiri has gone to study, he finds his way right back to the university he calls home, Eastern Kentucky University.  "I'm at Eastern Kentucky University.  It's like 23 miles south of Lexington, Kentucky.  It's really, really awesome¹," he says.

"I got my bachelor's degree.  I mean I have been here for seven years you know and I have been to the University of Texas at Arlington.  I went there for one year for my master's degree.  It's kind of a huge population and I didn't like it that much and then I transferred back to Eastern Kentucky.  I think because of being at Eastern Kentucky for a long time it feels like a home away from home."

Already Steve has an undergraduate degree from the university.  Now as he works on his graduate degree, he says there is a different level of understanding and learning once you choose to seek a higher education.  "I'm doing my master's of business administration and I initially² did economics, international economics for my undergraduate with a minor³ in business administration and it's really, really awesome.  I like it so far," he says.

"Things have changed a lot you know undergraduate is more like you are just brushing up then when you get to graduate school you do a lot of research, you get to understand things at a deeper level.  I've also worked with other departments at school like the diversity department, and the athletic⁴ department its like I am getting that experience," he says.

"I really love it. It's a good place to go!

Steve says his opportunity to study in the United States is a dream come true especially since getting into one of the universities back home can be challenging.  "Well, I'm from Kenya, a town called Mombosa it's close to the India ocean and why did I decide to come to the United States? I got a scholarship in track and field and that was like a dream come true given that we have a couple of public universities and it's really hard to get into one of them and once you get into one of them you don't actually do what you want to do or what you want to become in the future, but when I got this scholarship this was like an open door for me."

Over the last several years Steve says adjusting to the culture has left a lasting⁵ impression.  "I was a village boy so to say and when I got here to the United States things look sort of different because back home when you hear of any American university you think of them being the same.  All of them being like Harvard and all those big schools you don't know the difference," he says.

"I went to one of the universities in Kenya for one semester and then when I got here things were really different like the class setting, the professors how they portray⁶ themselves, how they dress, how the students dress and the car they drive.   I mean I couldn't belive they were driving very huge cars given that back home we don't have a situation like that unless you come from a very wealthy family, but overall I like the whole university.  Having all kind of people in class I am learning from people with different experiences, having a room mate you never spent time with you know that has a different background you know it was a culture shock, but it took me like one year to adjust to the whole thing including the food."
  
May 2010 is when Steve will complete his studies.  Getting into a doctorate⁷ program is one of his goals then..."I have a feeling of helping⁸ needy⁹ people you know given that my country is one of the sub-sahara countries and that feeling of wanting to help other people kind of drove me into it," he says.

"My aim is to get into a doctorate program into economics and probably help a lot of people in Africa or in any country. That would be my dream job.

1 awesome   

adj.令人惊叹的，难得吓人的，很好的

参考例句：

• The church in Ireland has always exercised an awesome power.爱尔兰的教堂一直掌握着令人敬畏的权力。
• That new white convertible is totally awesome.那辆新的白色折篷汽车简直棒极了.

2 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

3 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

4 athletic   

adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的

参考例句：

• This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。
• He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。

5 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

6 portray   

v.描写，描述；画(人物、景象等)

参考例句：

• It is difficult to portray feelings in words.感情很难用言语来描写。
• Can you portray the best and worst aspects of this job?您能描述一下这份工作最好与最坏的方面吗？

7 doctorate   

n.(大学授予的)博士学位

参考例句：

• He hasn't enough credits to get his doctorate.他的学分不够取得博士学位。
• Where did she do her doctorate?她在哪里攻读博士？

8 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

9 needy   

adj.贫穷的，贫困的，生活艰苦的

参考例句：

• Although he was poor,he was quite generous to his needy friends.他虽穷，但对贫苦的朋友很慷慨。
• They awarded scholarships to needy students.他们给贫苦学生颁发奖学金。