On Campus: Worthington

newscut_campus_worthington.jpgNews Cut on Campus tour. Every Wednesday I set up an elaborate display in a busy location of a public college or university in Minnesota, and find out what’s on students’ minds.

Today I’m at the Worthington campus of Minnesota West Community and Technical College, on the shores of Lake Okabena. The school offers liberal arts and sciences programs, including farm management, nursing, and it’s quite aggressive in reaching students through online learning.

I’ve been asking students about the economy and, in particular, their journey that’s brought them to pursuing their dream, also known as a career if they do it right.

If you’ve got some questions you want to throw into the mix, drop ’em below.

10:27 a.m. – We’re set up in the cafeteria/lounge area. Coincidentally, it’s free-food day at the college. Or maybe it’s not a coincidence.

11:58 a.m. – I’ve talked to Jordy, who is trying to decide between the ministry, engineering, or football. He’s from Miami. I’ve talked to Andreus, who is from Switzerland. He’d like to get into real estate but first he had to go back to Switzerland for mandatory military service. “Nobody picks on the Swiss, why do they need an army?” I asked.

“You never know,” he said.

12:35 p.m. Jose Saravia of Luverne just stopped by. He was deployed to Iraq for 22 months and expects to be sent to Afghanistan in the next few years. The Guard is paying his way through college. He went to Iraq wanting to be a cop someday. Now he wants to be a nutritionist or dietician in a hospital.

12:38 p.m. – A young man who wants to be a police officer stopped by. He current works in security at ShopCo, and says he’s seen an increase in shoplifting, though he’s not sure it’s tied to the economy.

12:42 p.m. – Carrie is graduating from Luverne High School near the top of her class (#2 because she got an A- in gym, she says). She’s been taking college courses while going to high school and will actually graduate college before she graduates from high school. She’s heading to college in Florida, but she’s also joined the National Guard to help pay for it. She says many of her friends have also joined. “I want to get out of here,” she said. “It’s not that I don’t love Luverne, but I want to see the rest of the world and then come back.”