Students of Massachusetts,
My path to Massachusetts may be similar to your own. I'm originally from elsewhere, the South Side of Chicago. I came here as a teenager when a program called “A Better Chance” offered me just that – a chance to attend school. I am the first person in my family to attend college, and have had a varied and exciting career since.
Massachusetts is my home now, and has been for most of the last 40 years. I didn't pursue my current job because elected office is my career, and I certainly knew it wasn’t going to be easy. I wanted to serve because of my gratitude to the Commonwealth for all the hope and life-changing opportunity I have been given here.
As students here, you already know that Massachusetts offers the very best educational experience in the world. But you may not know that school is just the beginning of all we have to offer. This state is a great place to live and work. We’re adding jobs faster than 47 other states (nearly 65,000 new jobs since December 2009), and climbing out of recession faster and stronger than the rest of the country. We lead the Nation in student achievement and health care. And we have an unparalleled quality of life, with diverse and beautiful people and regions and great cultural attractions.
The Commonwealth is also a great place to start a business. In its 2010 edition of America's Top States for Business, CNBC ranked Massachusetts in the top five nationally for business competitiveness. And we have an unparalleled entrepreneurial spirit -- which is why for the second year in a row, Suffolk University’s Beacon Hill Institute ranked Massachusetts at the top in its annual Competitiveness Report.
So here’s my point: we want you to stay here. Business, academic and government leaders from across the state have come together to organize a “Stay Here” campaign, a concerted and collaborative effort to show you the opportunities that Massachusetts has to offer and to persuade you to stay here when school is done. You can learn more about it at www.massitsallhere.com/stayhere.
You are the Commonwealth’s most valuable resource. Your future is bright. Let’s together make ours brighter. Stay here!
Sincerely,
Governor Deval Patrick
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