Home is far away, and the weather is fluctuating every day but Lenore Lewis, junior psychology major, still enjoys attending Missouri Southern.

Being born and raised in Tortola, British Virgin Islands, Lewis had become accustomed to a certain way of life.

She has never experienced so much fluctuation in the weather or so much humidity.

“It’s hot in Tortola all year round, but it’s not humid,” Lewis said.

“Seventy-five degrees would be considered cold for Virgin Islanders,” said Randall Georges, junior graphic design major, who is a friend of Lewis’ and was also raised in the British Virgin Islands.

Tortola is located 60 miles east of Puerto Rico and is a predominantly black island with 19,000 people.

Coming from the BVI to Missouri has made Lewis realize things are not the same here as they are back home. She has had to make some adjustments.

“I am not used to being the minority, but I have to adjust,” she said.

“Where I am from I am the majority, and whites are the minority.

“There are no hills and no beaches here, I am used to walking to a beach whenever

I wanted to.”

The greatest challenge for Lewis to overcome was the racial barrier and culture shock in Southwest Missouri.

While searching for a school to attend she kept in mind “low cost and small college.” She did an Internet search and found Southern. She was later told that H. Lavity Stout Community College, the school she attended in the BVI, was affiliated with Southern.

At the BVI community college’s graduation in the summer of 2003, University President Julio León was a keynote speaker, and Lewis’ family was impressed with his speech.

“Dr. León is a good speaker, and his speech was short and sweet,” Lewis said. “This was another reason for me making the decision to attend Southern.”

There are things Lewis likes about Southern besides the size and cost. She said she likes the closeness she has with her friends and instructors but there are things she is still getting used to, such as drive-thru services.

“Tortola has no drive-thrus because it would eliminate the closeness between customer and worker,” she said. “The differences are good though.”

When it comes to having a good time, Lewis likes to hang out with friends, play ping-pong, attend school functions and read books.

“I am a Christian so there is no partying for me, but I still have fun,” she said.

Christmas break is around the corner and Lewis’ family is ready for her to come home, and she is ready as well. She likes Southern, but she misses her family, and her mother’s cooking.

“I look forward to seeing my family and starting my second semester at Southern in the spring,” she said.

Lewis enjoys Southern even though she is far from home, but said she is making the best of it.