It can be hard going to college thousands of miles from home. But a group of young women from Malawi who came to Troy University as part of a scholarship program found something unexpected here—a home away from home.

“It’s been amazing being here,” said Vitumbiko Munthali. “I’ve had so many experiences and I’ve met so many people from different countries because TROY is an international university.”

Munthali, along with Sandra Hanna Lubale, Martha Njolomole, came to TROY in 2013 as part of a scholarship program funded by the 100X Development Foundation.

Arriving in Troy for the first time, the group had to quickly adjust to new kinds of food, a new culture and the hot, humid climate of Alabama. But perhaps the biggest challenge was opening up to people.

“I was pretty shy, and then I came here where you don’t really know anyone else,” Lubable said. “The first couple of years were hard, but I had a major change when I took a public speaking class.”

The class gave her the courage to open up and get to know her classmates. The welcoming attitude and “Southern hospitality,’ found in Troy helped make being far from home much easier.

“There’s a real sense here of people wanting to get to know you,”said Christina Kadzamira of the 100x Foundation who helped the Malawi group in their transition to the Troy Campus and later enrolled in TROY’s graduate school.

The members of the group graduated in May, but before that they sat down with their faculty mentor Dr. Lakerri Mack for a discussion on TROY TrojanVision to share their story: