BUTLER TWP — Fitore Shllaku, 19, is continuing her American education at Butler County Community College this year. A native of Kosovo, she first came to the United States as an exchange student at Slippery Rock High School.

After graduation, she decided she wanted to continue her education. BC3 was a good choice for her, she said. She thought she might not be ready for a four-year college.

"Everybody thought this would be perfect for me," she said.

Shllaku is studying architecture because she likes drawing and math. Coming from a war-torn country, she said she is inspired to help rebuild her homeland.

"It's something I love. I will probably love it more if it helps my country," she said.

And, after spending nearly a semester studying and examining architecture, she said she still loves it.

She expected to spend her Thanksgiving break finishing a project drawing the floor plans to Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater.

This year, she's living in Oakland Township at the home of Deb McAllister, director of the college's adult literacy program.

On campus, she's got international company this year.

BC3 has its highest number of international students in 15 years. In addition to Shllaku, two students from India are studying at the college.

The last time so many international students were on campus was in 1994 when seven Kuwaiti adults came to study metrology. Since then, about one international student a year has enrolled from countries like Jordan, Slovakia, and the Bahamas.

Patty Bajuszik, director of admissions, said her primary role with international students is to get them the proper documentation to get a student visa.

Because, unlike most four-year schools, BC3 doesn't have on-campus housing, it can be hard to attract international students.

"Most already have a connection to Butler County," she said.

That's what brought Akshay Agarwal to the college and the community from New Delhi. Agarwal's aunt and uncle live in Cranberry Township, and he saw that as an opportunity to get an American education.

"I like the flexibility of courses," Agarwal said.

Agarwal is studying business administration and said he hopes to work in finance. He also knows he wants to transfer to a four-year program once he is done at BC3.

Karan Naresh Makhija, 20, this year transferred to BC3 from Slippery Rock University, where he began studying sports management in 2007.

Makhija had a variety of educational experiences growing up. He was born in London, spent much of his childhood in Chile, spent time in a boarding school in India, and then went to high school in Nigeria.

He chose SRU because he wanted to go to a smaller American college where he could make friends and adjust to life here.

When he decided to transfer, he picked BC3 because it was close to the friends he had made. His mother moved here from Mumbai, India, and is spending the first semester living with him in Butler Township. She's kept him company this semester, he said, and will return to India in January.

He wants to finish out the year at BC3 and then transfer back to SRU to finish his degree. He wants to work in marketing with a sports team.

"I want to go to London and work with the Chelsea soccer club. That's my dream job," Makhija said.

Shllaku is thinking of continuing her studies in Boston after she finishes at BC3.

"I like to start something and finish it to the end," she said.

When given a chance to talk to the college's board of trustees, each of them mentioned the transportation system here as the biggest adjustment.

Because Agarwal can't drive, his aunt, Samta Gupta, has driven him to classes at the main campus. She's made her time productive by volunteering to tutor other students while Agarwal is at class.

"There in India, it's really easy getting around," he said. "Here, I'm stuck in one place."

Makhija had driven himself to school when he lived in Nigeria, but he soon learned that driving here was much different.

"There are actually rules here," he said. He said there are no stop signs or traffic lights in Nigeria.

"You can imagine, it's chaos," he said.

Taking the bus from the stop in Pullman Square to BC3 was taking him an hour, he said. So, that's where Bajuszik stepped in.

She borrowed her husband's car and took Makhija to the driving center in New Castle to get his license, she said.

"I managed to pass the test on the second go," he said.

Bajuszik said the administration has asked her to explore more opportunities to bring international students. She cited the influence that a diverse student body has on the students.

But, the students say the community has had an influence on them.

"School, it's very different (in Kosovo)." Shllaku said. "We don't have all these chances or all these choices."