There are several options. First you'll need to locate the plant. Most of the true miniatures are only available from on-line or vendors in areas outside Michigan. I'm more familiar with the lighting issue. Once you find a plant (there are several vendors in the Chigago area) then you'll know how large a light to get. There are lots of compact florescents that will work just fine. Also the lighting sold for counteracting the winter blas (such as
Full Spectrum Lighting and Light Therapy) which is bit pricey but really nice esthetic fixtures, can be used effectively, especially for one plant. This time of year you may find Phalenopsis (Moth Orchids) or Paphs (Slipper Orchids) in Meijer stores around Michigan. They are great choices for growing under lights. I would suggest a light something like
BlueMax™ 70w Dimmable White Desk Lamp. Pricey? Yes, but will fit in just about any decor. Another option might be
105 Watt Compact Fluorescent which is significantly cheaper, but you'll have to provide your own fixture and the base is too fat to fit into most normal lamp housings. The screw base is the standard medium base of most household bulbs. I made a setup that looks like this for mine ->
I think you can see how bright this bulb is, but also how ugly. If you (and she) can live with this setup in the dorm, I'd get one of these, an extension cord and socket from Home Depot as well as a cheap appliance timer. Either of these solutions would work with one of the Phal or Paph choices. Now as for colors...