在威尼斯人娱乐城，学生们撰写自己的故事，形成自己对成功的定义，并规划创新的职业道路。 以堪萨斯城为教室，他们每天把梦想变成现实。
Matthew Robinson
Anticipated graduation year: 2025
威尼斯人娱乐城学位课程： Ph.D., Economics
家乡: Fresno, California
经济信息中心的临时主任是威尼斯人娱乐城的熟面孔。 马修·罗宾逊（Matthew Robinson）从加州弗雷斯诺远道而来选择这所学校的原因很简单。
“It was the people,” Robinson said. “I was doing a master's program at another school and met a graduate student from 威尼斯人娱乐城 at a conference in New York. 我对他们正在做的工作感到非常兴奋。 我想我在之后的几个小时里一直在烦他们。 Then I met more students, more faculty and I decided that whatever career plans I have, or other job prospects, I'm going there and doing what these folks are doing.”
至于是什么让他进入经济学这一研究领域，罗宾逊的回答不那么简单：2008年。
“I was kind of kicking around during undergrad,” he said. “I haven't found anything I really like. 在这段时间里，我选修了一门经济学课程，而从某种意义上说，世界正在分崩离析。 我也在做志愿者，在一个到处都是非常勤劳、非常有才华的人的社区里。 失业率正在飙升，而且我们的工作并没有变得更糟。 这是正在发生的另一件事，它与教科书上的内容不符。 I get to the job site, and I get requests: ‘College kid, explain it.’ I gave the answer that was in the textbook. 这就是他们所说的。 过了一段时间，他们说够了，因为这太侮辱人了。 这是标准的东西，引导的东西； just work for less money.”
这是罗宾逊开始学习经济学的主要灵感来源。
“When I left Fresno, I made a promise to myself: if I can't talk about what I am doing to my buddies who did not graduate high school, I'm wrong. 如果我不能在学术会议上与一群经济学家和没有高中毕业的人交谈，那就不适合我。 I'm in the wrong place.”
事实证明，正确的地点是威尼斯人娱乐城。
“I started politely asking my professors why what we were seeing in theory is not what was actually happening. My professors pointed me to some writings, some from 威尼斯人娱乐城, and I was like, ‘This is it. I need to learn this,’ It took me a long time, but I did end up where things made sense.”
罗宾逊非常喜欢这份工作，他经常努力把注意力集中在他的项目上。
“There's just so much interesting work going on in the department,” he said. “I'm focused on my research agenda and moving things forward, but then I’ll hear a colleague talk about their work, or I’ll walk down the hallway and stumble into a presentation on something completely different, usually on currency markets, securities, neighborhood health or housing. All of a sudden, it's like ‘Oh, my gosh! That's the most interesting thing in the world,’ and I have to know everything about it. It's a good problem and probably the most difficult part of the program.”
威尼斯人娱乐城的项目以一种帮助研究与此时此地联系起来的方式来研究经济学。
“We have a what's called a pluralist tradition,” Robinson said. “It's very focused on taking a look at the economy from different perspectives. 我们被鼓励去做，或者被要求去做，因为没有一个人或一个学派的思想或观点是正确的。 You are expected to understand all of them.”
罗宾逊还在威尼斯人娱乐城的其他学校发现了这种支持。
“I got to take three law school courses,” he said. " 如果你需要了解太空，以及如何理解社区和边界，那就去学习地球科学，这是我的代码学科。 We're expected to be members of the community rather than just stuffy academics behind the computer screen.”
That’s also why Robinson continues to spend his summers doing volunteer work around Kansas City. He’s also involved with his local neighborhood association.
“It’s another reminder that not everything is in the textbook,” Robinson said. “You need to talk to community members who actually live in the economy. That’s what’s expected. And sure, it can be difficult, but that’s what makes this a great part of our department.”
It’s easy to tell how much Robinson loves Kansas City, 威尼斯人娱乐城 and his community.
“I’m just so lucky to be here,” he said. “Just all the little things that could have gone one way or another. 我在这里遇到了我的妻子。 我的邻居已经变成了我的家人。 I guess it didn't take me too long, because this is the perfect time.”