In the 1980s, area Virgin Islanders strived to keep our cultural norms alive and vibrant. We had left behind a robust culture in search of higher education and economic balance. Starving for cultural oneness and with limited resources, Virgin Islanders met this void by putting a face on their unified vision, and so the VI Advocates was born. Its primary function was to be the “village” for VI students in the area — from mentoring to sharing a good VI-style home-cooked meal.