On Tuesday, the 18 of October, Malden High School held the U.S. citizenship naturalization ceremony in the Jenkins auditorium, hosted by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The auditorium was filled with the immigrants to the United States that were going to become citizens. There to support were their families, friends, police officers, people from the military, and high school staff and students.
This was the last step in their journey. Taking the oath with one hand in the air, and finally the process of becoming a U.S citizen was finally completed.
There were immigrants from all over the world, including the countries of: Brazil, China, El Salvador, Haiti, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Thailand, Venezuela and many more. The atmosphere was electric; filled with pride, ecstasy and admiration. In the crowd were proud kids that were recording their parents, clapping excitedly, and happy watchers that found the whole ordeal interesting.
In the actual ceremony, there was an Opening of the Court which included the judge coming out along with many important people such as the CEO of the Immigrant learning center. There was then a Call for the Posting of Colors / Malden Police Honor Guard presented by Samantha Stoutenburg, while the National Anthem was sang by Jeantilus Gedus. Then the immigrants finally became U.S citizens and said the Oath of Allegiance in a call and response way of Samantha Stoutenburg. The judge then conversed with the new citizens, as well as Mayor Gary Christenson. The whole auditorium then recited the Pledge of Allegiance, then the court closed.
At the end of the whole process, the family members walked out more proud than they were when they walked in, the high school students walked out with a new outlook on U.S citizenship then they did when they walked in, and the immigrants that worked so hard to get to where they were that day walked out as U.S citizens, able to vote, and do so much more. They thank Malden High for hosting their naturalization ceremony and are very happy to be U.S citizens for the rest of their life now.
