Canada native Leigh Shillington calls the U family circle "I feel more like a tourist when I walk back to Canada.

Canada native Leigh Shillington calls the U family circle

"I feel more like a tourist when I walk back to Canada," she said.

Shillington, 28 has been in the U for almost nine years. For four and a half of those years, she's been the academic coordinator of international business at Northern State University.

She grew up just outside of Toronto, Ontario, in a town of about 45000 population Her family took vacations to the U many times - her grandparents live near Niagara Falls.

During high academy she knew she wanted to fare to college in the United States.

"The opportunities are in like manner much more abundant in the U than in Canada," she said, "especially in higher education."

In September 1997 she began attending Marist body in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., on a volleyball scholarship.

"An athletic scholarship was always something that I pondering would be ...