As many have experienced, the citizenship process can be a daunting one. Many immigrants are hesitant to apply, because it is difficult to understand, costly, and often takes over one year to complete.
In such a case, Sylvia, came to the United States in her twenties to attend graduate school. Since 2012, she has worked at the University of Miami, where she teaches and researches biological nanotechnologies. She enjoys her job and loves “educating the new generation of scientists.”
Although Sylvia has lived in the U.S. for decades and is proud of her Spanish roots, she long desired to become a U.S. citizen. Always proud of her civic engagement in Spain, she wanted her voice to be heard in her new country as well.
Luckily, for Sylvia and her fellow colleagues, the University of Miami partnered with New American Workforce in 2016, which assists eligible employees with the citizenship process. Recognizing the myriad benefits of helping staff and faculty become citizens, this partnership assisted Sylvia as she filled out her citizenship application at her worksite last year. She said having the citizenship workshops at work was key in facilitating the process for her.
In the end, Sylvia is grateful for the assistance she received from the University of Miami and New American Workforce and recently obtained her citizenship. Desiring to affect change, she is eager to use her voice to vote in the coming elections as a proud U.S. citizen.
Photo: Several of the employee participants at the University of Miami