Culture Shock and New Beginnings

How Kristina Leonova Has Overcome Distance and Cultural Shifts

By Margot Murphy

Many students find it challenging to move thousands of miles from home to pursue an education.

For Kristina Leonova, a Lynn senior from Moscow, the experience has been beneficial but also isolating.

Having moved to the U.S. due to the current situation in her home country, Leonova is balancing her studies with her lifelong passion for horseback riding.

Leonova relocated to Boca Raton to complete her studies and has encountered noticeable cultural differences that have heavily influenced her experience living in the United States.

Despite her extensive travels, Leonova has a great appreciation for her home country. After graduation, she plans to reunite with her family in Cyprus but feels fortunate she was able to get a visa to continue her education outside of Russia.

“I have a European passport, so getting [a visa] was super easy,” said Leonova. “But being far from my family has been hard.”

Leonova is an experienced equestrian. She is currently training for an April dressage competition and credits horseback riding with easing her loneliness and allowing her to follow her true passion in the United States.

“Luckily, I have here a horse,” said Leonova. “I don’t have friends at all. Like, most of the time, I'm just spending on the barn with my horse.”

Besides her academic and equestrian pursuits, Leonova has found the cultural differences between Russia and the United States significant. She explained that American and Russian students are very specifically the causal small talk in U.S. culture.

“It's very difficult to make small talk, to have a smile on my face all the time,” said Leonova. “People just ask questions, and they don’t really even care... I don’t really like this.”

One of the biggest challenges Leonova has faced is safety concerns. She mentioned feeling uneasy living alone in the U.S., mentioning crime rates and gun laws as contributing to her fear.

“I feel scared,” said Leonova. “Living here for one year, sometimes it's difficult to go to the bath and to sleep. I don’t know, just when I hear some sounds in my apartment. That’s terrifying for me.”

Despite these difficulties, Leonova remains committed to her education at Lynn University. She

attributes her studies and time spent at the barn to helping her adjust. While she acknowledges differences in the academic system, she values the knowledge she has gained in the U.S.

“The education here is a little bit different,” said Leonova. “The education may be a little higher, and the professors are very harsh.”

Leonova also addressed misconceptions about Russian culture, emphasizing that reserved behavior should not be mistaken for rudeness. She explained that Russians often hold themselves to high personal standards, from their appearance to their academic and professional expectations.

“In Moscow, everything is ‘top, top, top,” she said. “It's just the way we are used to living.”

Even in the face of difficulties adjusting to a new culture, Leonova has made the most of her time in the U.S. With graduation approaching, she looks forward to the next chapter while

carrying the lessons and experiences she has gained abroad.