America continues as the favorite destination for international students seeking higher education, and the international student population contributes 5.5% to the total number of students in higher education in the United States. Inclusive, international students contribute over $42 billion to the U.S economy and though this seems substantial, there is still room for universities to recruit more international students to diversify their campuses. The problem addressed in this study is that Western Samoa students face significantly different culture and academics when they attend a U.S. university to seek academic success. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore Western Samoa students' experiences of how Samoa culture and academic preparation impacts their educational success at a U.S. Data was collected through semi-structured, open ended questions. The participants were asked the same open-ended questions allowing them to talk freely and openly sharing their feelings and experiences, so the information gathered is not fixed or predetermined. Research findings showed that most Western Samoa students were academically prepared to navigate the courses in college, nevertheless the participants found that the American system of education markedly different from what they were used to. Research findings revealed that all ten participants noted respect of family as the driving force for them to continue pushing forward and to successfully integrate into college life. larger quantifiable data sets and reduce the potential for interpretation bias. One recommendation for further research is to expand the current study to include Western Samoa students from other universities in Hawaii and on the mainland. Different universities have different demographics and different programs. It would be beneficial to document the lived experiences of Western Samoa students from other universities as well. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]