While Yu Matsuoka and Yuki Shinsho are very far from their families and native land of Japan, local Ambassadors Dan and Edie Vernon of Caney have welcomed them into their family.  CCC International Advisor Marla Larimore has been working with international students for the past 17 years.  She often finds students a community “match” to help them adjust to life in the U.S.

Coffeyville, Kansas has been the first stop for the native students from Japan.  Matsuoka came to CCC first and later her friend Shinsho came as well.  Matsuoka is from Chiba, Japan and Shinsho is from Osaka, Japan.  They are both improving their English skills but are very good math students.

Matsuoka wants to be a math teacher and Shinsho would like to teach biology.  They live in the dorms and enjoy riding bicycles.  Their favorite part of living in the U.S. is the ice cream!

Dan and Edie step in to help the girls get back and forth to the airport and invite them over for meals quite often.  Dan and Edie have six grown children together.  Having the girls in their lives has helped the couple ease their “empty nest” feelings.  They enjoy “bartering words” with the students and say they are learning too.

“There is definitely a mutual benefit,” said Dan.  The girls need somebody to call and we are here to help.  We have learned a lot and it has been a great experience.”

CCC has fourteen different countries represented on campus with 44 students from afar.  Larimore will hang up her international banner this year as she retires from CCC to spend a little more time enjoying her family.