‘With Liberty and Justice For All’
CRIS citizenship classes create lasting change in the lives of many
At first glance, Abdul*, Sergii, and Gabriela have very little in common. They were all born in separate decades, hail from three distinct continents, and speak three different languages. Yet, over the last several months, their individual stories have converged in a profound way.
Abdul spent much of his life as a public servant in his home country of Afghanistan. With a degree in economics, he served in various roles within his government’s Ministry of Finance for over 30 years. International conflict in his homeland during the late 1970s forced him and his family to move to Pakistan in search of safety. After living in Pakistan for four years, some of his family members moved to the United States, and he was able to return to his home country. In the years since then, some of Abdul’s adult children have built lives around the world, including in the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom. In January of 2018, through sponsorship from his children living in the U.S., Abdul came to live in Columbus. In the summer of 2022, with a desire to become a naturalized citizen, he enrolled in the CRIS citizenship classes. He began attending classes on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at the Hilliard Branch Library, taught by CRIS staff member Linda. It was there that his path crossed with that of Sergeii.
A native of Ukraine, Sergii began to sense in 2013 that the political unrest in his homeland would only continue to intensify. It was during that time that he stepped away from a decades-long career as an engineer to join his country's military, and he and his wife made the difficult decision that she and their young son would move to the U.S. in search of safety and stability. Sergii's wife, alone in a new country and culture and language, started from scratch in building a life. She attended English classes, eventually earned a bachelor's degree, and has worked as a corporate accountant for the last several years. After nearly a decade of separation, Sergii was finally able to join his wife and now-adult son here in Columbus in 2021. He immediately began taking community English classes. By the summer of 2022, he sensed it was time to begin the naturalization process and enrolled in CRIS citizenship classes. He started attending the class taught by Linda, where he met fellow classmate Abdul.
Just a couple of months after Abdul and Sergii began their formal citizenship studies with CRIS, Gabriela joined their class. Gabriela fled to California from her home country of Mexico to escape violence in 2004. She began rebuilding her life in California, where she worked and started a family. When her two children were young, domestic violence forced Gabriela and her children to live in shelters and transitional housing for years while she pursued legal protection and newfound stability. Desiring a fresh start for her children after years of transition, she relocated to Columbus in 2018.
She completed multiple licensure programs to prepare her for a professional career in administrative work. In the last three years, Gabriela has focused much of her time and attention on homeschooling her now-teenaged children and caring for her son’s medical needs. Late in 2022, she knew that the next step in caring for her family would involve becoming a U.S. citizen.
As their individual stories came together in Linda's citizenship class last fall, Abdul, Sergii, and Gabriela found much more than they were looking for. Beyond adeptly crafted and well-prepared coursework on U.S. government, history, and economics, together they discovered a new sense of community. Linda's expertise and compassionate instruction, coupled with the camaraderie felt by the entire class, inspired each "student" to work hard in improving their English skills and mastering the required content--and this is no small task.
U.S. naturalization is a multi-step process that requires specific resources and knowledge. Each candidate must complete the legal application and complete a formal interview with a United States Customs and Immigration Services Officer. For the interview, candidates must demonstrate English proficiency and an understanding of U.S. history, government, economics, and geography through verbal and written questions, as well as writing prompts.
After months of hard work and dedication under Linda's careful instruction, Abdul, Sergii, and Gabriela had their individual USCIS interviews this spring. They each recall feeling very nervous in their interviews but also a sense of confidence in how well-prepared they were. Their hard work paid off as each of them successfully completed their interview. In the last two months, they have gone through the U.S. oath ceremony, swearing in officially as U.S. citizens. During this special ceremony, Abdul, Sergii, and Gabriela--along with dozens of other new citizens--pledged allegiance to our country. With backgrounds marked by political unrest, community violence, and trauma, this pledge takes on incredibly rich shades of significance for them.
Abdul expresses his sincere gratitude for the support he received from CRIS toward accomplishing his goals--language instruction from CRIS English teacher Laura Weiant, citizenship support from Linda and program director Erika Crawford, and legal support from CRIS immigration attorney Vincent Wells. Now that he is a U.S. citizen, he will be able to visit his children and grandchildren in Canada and England for the first time. At 68 years of age, he also has a renewed sense of responsibility and leadership within the growing Afghan community in Columbus.
Sergii also has outward-focused plans for his future here in the U.S. Though he cannot transfer his education and work experience as an engineer to jumpstart a career here, he is determined to continue improving his English skills and take college courses to earn new credentials. His heart's desire is simply to help others using his giftings and abilities.
Gabriela describes feeling a deep sense of security and permanence now that she is a U.S. citizen. She explains her primary motivation for completing the challenging process: "I did this for my kids. I want to be there for them and with them no matter what happens. Now I know for sure that I can be." Gabriela shares the desire that Abdul and Sergii have to "give back" to the community--she has even returned to Linda's class as a volunteer providing support to new citizenship students.
From strangers to classmates to family-like connections, Abdul, Sergii, and Gabriela now share a permanent bond as fellow citizens of the country they have come to love and call home.
CRIS citizenship classes are offered year-round in quarterly sessions, and registration is now open for the summer session taking place July 11-September 27. If you or someone you know is ready to become a U.S. citizen, register for this session and/or contact the program director Erika Crawford.
*Name changed for security purposes.