Through their work on the construction of the Pentagon after the September 11th Attacks, numerous Smithsonian museums, and Nationals Stadium, Parkinson Construction Company has established itself as a builder of American identity and icons. In this spirit, the Washington D.C.-based construction company prides itself on hiring diverse employees, and its recent partnership with New American Workforce, which helps its eligible immigrant employees fulfill their American Dream and become United States citizens.
One such Parkinson employee, Silvia, is originally from Guatemala and one of the company’s Human Resource representatives. Her journey to the U.S. began approximately seven years ago when her son fell ill and needed medical treatment that only the U.S. offered. As her son was recovering, Silvia and her family applied to become legal permanent residents and eventually were able to stay, work, and attend school in the D.C. area.
As Parkinson’s Human Resource representative, Silvia was one of the first people to hear that her company was planning to work with New American Workforce, and she was excited about the opportunity to support a partnership that would help her family and her fellow coworkers with the citizenship process. Through the partnership, Silvia, and her daughter, Luisa, attended citizenship workshops, where they learned about the citizenship process, and both filled out their applications with the help of legal professionals at the worksite. On their experience, Luisa said:
“We wanted to go through the citizenship process for a long time, and it was nice to be able to have the process done in one place. The workshops were so helpful, and they lifted a weight off our shoulders. They made the process a lot simpler than we thought it would be.”
Thanks to Parkinson and its partnership with New American Workforce, Silvia feels more secure about her family’s future. Now, she and Luisa are more knowledgeable about the citizenship process and are well on their way to becoming U.S. citizens!