Twenty students from six countries became U.S. Citizens on Tuesday as part of a World Refugee celebration held at Catalina High School.
A representative from the United States Citizen and Immigration Services administered the citizenship oath and presented certificates to each child.
The event was hosted by two students—a brother and sister—who are refugees themselves. Mohammed and Ruweda Hussein, both Rincon High School students, were separated from their mother for five years. Their mother did not know where they were and never gave up searching. She found them in a refugee camp and worked tirelessly to bring them all together.
Ruweda said the family feels fortunate to have found a home here, and she encouraged her fellow students to make the most of their new country. “Let’s all take advantage of all the educational opportunities in America,” she said.
Reeya Monger was among the students who celebrated their citizenship. Her mother is a refugee from Bhutan, and Reeya was born in Nepali. Reeya said she was really happy to gain her citizenship because her mother worked hard to pass the test.
She said she was her mother’s teacher for the exam because her mother is still perfecting her English. Reeya is a seventh-grader at Doolen Middle School. This is her first citizenship in any country. Bhutan and Nepali do not issue citizenship to children.
“I’m in this stage now because of my mother,” she said.
Tucson Unified School District has about 200 refugee students this year, about 500 who have been here for less than three years, and 800 to 1,000 who have been here for more than three years.
The ceremony included awards for outstanding volunteers who work with refugee families. They were: Sister Alette Latorre McCracken from Catholic Community Services, John O’Hanlon from the Karenni Konnection, Dr. Frez Hillian from the Iskashitaa Refugee Network and Mr. Purna Budathoki from Refugee Phoenix and is former president of the Bhutanese Mutual Assistance Association of Tucson.
Board member Michael Hicks stated, “This just goes to show that we really have some of the best students the world has to offer. I am proud of these students and proud of our teachers who have dedicated their lives to our students.”