Proud To Be An American

Recently, we've had the honor of celebrating the citizenship of one of ouresteemed customer service representatives,Karina. She moved with her family at the age of 11 from Brazil to the United States and, despite the difficulty of learning a new language, she excelled in school and is currently attending the University of Central Florida. In honor of her becoming a citizen, the first at REW to make that achievement while employed here, I made the long trip across the office for a sit-down Q&A session:

Q: Karina, what does becoming a citizen mean to you?

A: It is a great honor to become a citizen. The first thing that comes to mind is that I can now vote, but that does not come close to what I am happy for. The United States has offered my family and I a great opportunity for growth. It means that the country that I have loved for so long accepts me as one of their own, and there is no greater rewardthanthis.

Q: What was the process of becoming a citizen like?

A: It took my family and I roughlytenyears to go through the citizenship process. In my particular instance, my father established a business in Florida, and was granted a work visa. Our family moved here, and after having legal residency for five years, we chose to move forward and apply for citizenship. Althoughtenyears seem like a long time, the outcome is very much worth the wait.

Q: I'm glad that the outcome was worth the wait! What would you like to say to others who may want to move to America or become a citizen here?

A:That's a hard question!- America is a great country; it is the melting pot of the world. If you wish to come, make sure to get involved. There is no better feeling than learning about your new community and having an appreciation for a new culture.

Q: What was the first thing that you did, or what are you looking forward to doing, as a citizen?

A: The first thing, of course, was register to vote. I believe this right should be exercised by every citizen, since it is thegreatest power that thepeople have.

Q: What great insight! Thanks for your time, Karina, You have been a wonderful interviewee, not to mention co-worker.

A: Thanks, Jared!

We are very happy that Karina is now officially a U.S. citizen, we congratulate her on her successes, and wish her many more in the future!

For more information on how YOU can become a citizen visit http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis

Published by:
Ramona Weisent

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