New citizens pledge allegiance to their adopted nation
by Melissa Martin
Students at Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School got a front row seat in the school’s auditorium to watch government in action Sept. 9 as 25 residents from across Northeast Ohio took an oath to become U.S. citizens.
According to BBHHS American government teacher Jonah Pichette, who served as one of the featured speakers during the event, this is the second time the school has hosted a naturalization ceremony, with the first taking place back in 2019.
More than 100 students, including all 49 of the high school’s student government representatives and students from two of Pichette’s government classes, attended this year’s ceremony. Also in attendance were local officials, including Broadview Heights Mayor Sam Alai, Brecksville Mayor Daryl Kingston, Brecksville City Councilmembers Dan Bender and Ann Koepke and BBH School Board Members Mark Dosen, Ellen Kramer and Ava O’Mara, as well as friends and family members of those being administered the Oath of Allegiance.
The Oath of Allegiance to the United States is a sworn declaration that every citizenship applicant must recite during a formal ceremony, like the one at the high school, in order to become a naturalized American citizen. The oath ceremony is a tradition dating back to the 18th century.
When taking the oath, the new citizen promises to:
- Support and defend the U.S. Constitution and the laws of the United States against its enemies.
- Give up allegiance to any other nation or sovereign, and renounce hereditary or noble titles, if any.
- Provide military or civilian service when called upon by the government to do so.
Attending the Oath of Allegiance ceremony is mandatory as the final step of the naturalization process, which takes approximately 5½ months to complete. Prospective citizens must be at least 18 years old and are required to pass an English language test and an American civics test. The government filing fee for naturalization applications is $760.
Pichette said hosting the ceremony at BBHHS gave students a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“This was a fantastic learning experience that most of us don’t have the opportunity to be a part of any other way,” he said. “Witnessing something of this magnitude firsthand teaches students so much more than they could ever learn in a book.”
In addition to featuring members of Brecksville-Broadview Height Boy Scout Troop 652, who served as color guards to open and close the ceremony, members of the BBHHS choir performed the National Anthem, while the school’s string quartet performed a number of patriotic hymns throughout the ceremony.
Pichette said he and BBHHS senior Izzy Olecki have been planning the oath ceremony since March, after receiving the green light from BBHHS Principal Kevin Jakub and district Superintendent Jeff Harrison earlier this year. The district has worked closely with the office of Federal Judge Suzanna Krstevski Koch, who serves the Northern District of Ohio as a bankruptcy judge, to relocate the event from the Howard M. Metzenbaum U.S. Courthouse in Cleveland, to the BBHHS auditorium.
To start her speech, Koch, an immigrant’s daughter, shared the story of how 9/11 firefighters raised the American flag at Ground Zero as a reminder of patriotism. She also explained the story of why the nation’s flag is represented by the colors red, white and blue.
“The red in our flag is for valor, that means courage,” she said. “The white is for purity, and the blue is for vigilance, perseverance and justice. Those colors are meant to inspire us because this country is not easy. At every important juncture in our nation’s history, it has not been easy. Americans have made mistakes. It’s a government of the people, and people make mistakes. But we’ve also gotten it right more than we’ve gotten it wrong because a government by the people, and for the people, has the wisdom of the ideals of independence at its core.”
Koch reminded those becoming citizens of the obstacles they had to overcome in order to make it to the naturalization ceremony, including learning a new language and educating themselves on American history.
“It took courage and strength to leave behind your prior citizenship and to pledge your allegiance to the United States of America,” she said. “You will need that same courage and strength as an American – red, white and blue.”
Koch encouraged those becoming citizens to exercise their right to vote, to be involved in their communities and to educate themselves on issues that are important to them moving forward.
Also sharing her sentiments with those in attendance was BBHHS student Aya Katergo, who emigrated with her family from Beirut, Lebanon, approximately four years ago.
“As I stand here today, I know that my journey is just one of many that have shaped this moment,” Katergo told the audience. “At the heart of it all, being an immigrant is the most powerful part of who I am. Being an immigrant means that I carry two homes, two cultures and two perspectives. Being an immigrant means that I know what it feels like to start from square one. … That is precisely why this moment is so beautiful. Becoming a U.S. citizen does not symbolize letting go of your story. It means honoring it, carrying it proudly and using it to build a future here.”
That is exactly what two of the newest U.S. citizens plan to do. After moving here from Ukraine six years ago, Maria Butsiak and Volodymyr Butsyak say the milestone is one they will be celebrating for a long time.“This is really exciting for both of us,” Butsiak said. “We’re both so glad to be here in this great nation.”
Photo caption: One of 25 individuals to receive her U.S. citizenship at BBHHS poses with Federal Judge Suzanna Krstevski Koch after receiving her certificate of naturalization. photo by Melissa Martin