It takes a lot to get me to tear up. Being raised by an Army guy, the patience for tears was very low. Even tougher than my military-grade dad was my elementary-school-teacher mom who’d heard and seen it all thanks to the Utah school system. The woman defines stoicism, or maybe compartmentalization. This isn’t to say we couldn’t cry; more like, we needed to use discretion when it came to waterworks. I often squeezed out a tear to maneuver my way out of a lie — it never turned out well. Again, it’s the incredible superpowers of being a teacher; we’ll call it emotional x-ray vision.

This week, I was brought to tears witnessing nine new United States citizens take the Oath of Citizenship. To hear those words aloud, words I’ve never had to say, led to a powerful moment inside Ogden City’s municipal building. While I hadn’t planned on attending the ceremony, curiosity got the best of me since it was a new experience. Witnessing the culmination of these new citizens’ hard work reminded me being in the country is the goal of so many, with so few actually achieving it.

These nine citizens, born in either Brazil, South Africa, Mexico or Germany, studied, filled out endless paperwork, met with U.S. Immigration officials, took a civics test and finally became U.S. citizens after nearly a year of work. As I watched from the back of the room, a young girl came to the podium to congratulate her mother on this life-changing decision. About 12 years old, she described seeing her mother hunched over the kitchen table, night after night, studying for the exam. Becoming a U.S. citizen was not taken lightly; her mother had a drive to be a part of this country. This young girl was inspired by her mother’s drive and diligence. It was about more than citizenship and that hit me in the gut.

Ogden City offered a pilot program known as PATH to Citizenship after funds earmarked for immigration were made available through Salt Lake County. Beginning the work last year, participants were offered an opportunity to maneuver the complicated naturalization process with experienced guides. Linda Lartigue, diversity affairs coordinator for Ogden City, set up the parameters of PATH making sure to not double efforts, instead working within an already established system.

“We wanted to use these services in a way that was going to directly benefit people in our community. We reached out to the different organizations already doing great work in our area. We all came together and enhanced each other’s work to make one all-inclusive program,” Lartigue explained.

Those partners include Catholic Community Services, United Way of Northern Utah and My Hometown. Weber County Library assists in civic classes in preparation for the mandatory test given by a U.S Citizenship and Immigration officer. Despite my last history class being decades ago, I decided I would take a sample immigration civics test to see how I would fare. There are 100 questions that PATH students must study, with only 10 being asked by the officer. These questions appear to be simple, when in reality, it’s all information we believe we know. USCIS offers practice exams, which I took to test whether I could make the grade. Questions range from the Constitution to flag trivia. Let’s just say I could benefit from a few nights of studying — this from a person who’s survived several history courses. PATH strives to not only drill and grill participants, but to instill a sense of civic pride, to guide these new citizens into a life of participating in their new afforded rights.

PATH also helps participants fill out the paperwork required to become a citizen, something already daunting to those of us who speak English. Have you ever done your taxes by hand? Throw in a language barrier and a history test — you’ve got yourself the task of filling out a citizenship application. The cost to file is $760, so one also doesn’t want to screw up only to have to resubmit. PATH helps with this process using private funds.

Money, time, tears, frustration and fear are all worth it in the end as citizenship is life-changing for an entire family.

Said Lartigue: “This means these people are now eligible for retirement benefits, pensions; those are all things that benefit them and benefit their families. It will help them build generational wealth, which trickles down to their children. Becoming a citizen benefits the entire family line.”

What was a lark turned out to be a moment I believe everyone should witness. Our new American citizens are asked to repeat the oath, “I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen.” Renouncing anything is powerful; renouncing where you were born is brave. Every March, Ogden City hosts a naturalization ceremony inside Union Station. Last year, 175 people renounced the land of their birth and took an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States. 

PATH secured funds for another class through a private foundation. Tax dollars cannot be used for this program. Applications are open in December for a class in March. From that, this country will welcome new citizens who will take an oath. 

It was no lie, these tears were real and for good reason. Welcome and congratulations; timing is perfect with an election just weeks away.