It’s that time of year again. As the summer ends and fall approaches, families, teachers, and children are busy thinking of one thing – back to school. All educational institutions around the country are prepping for a successful new school year and dedicated to providing opportunities to their students, teachers, and staff. In this spirit, George Mason University in Washington D.C. took a new approach and partnered with New American Workforce last year with the aim of supporting its eligible immigrant employees with the citizenship process.
One such George Mason staff member, Michelle, moved to the United States from South Korea over 40 years ago. As a green card holder, she tried multiple times to fill out the citizenship application on her own but became frustrated by the overwhelming form and complicated process. After hearing about her university’s partnership with New American Workforce, she felt “relieved and comfortable” to try applying for her citizenship again.
While applying for her citizenship this time, Michelle attended citizenship workshops at her worksite and filled out the application with the help of a legal representative. Recalling her time at the workshops, she said,
“As I was filling out the application by myself, I got frustrated with the paperwork multiple times, but since I attended the workshops, I was finally able to complete everything… Everyone was very helpful and nice.”
Through the support of George Mason University and New American Workforce, Michelle successfully completed her application and had her citizenship interview on July 12, 2018. She is excited to be one-step closer to becoming a U.S citizen and being able to fully participate in her work and community.