Naturalization Ceremony

Working at Kilbourne has given me so many memorable opportunities.  I have had the joy of meeting incredible students and their families.  I have had the honor of presenting students with their diplomas at graduation.  I have learned and grown through a range of different experiences.  One of those experiences was at the Naturalization Ceremony held at Kilbourne last week.

This was the 3rd Naturalization Ceremony that I have had the privilege of witnessing and each time I am overwhelmed with emotion at the power of the event.  Kilbourne began hosting Naturalization Ceremonies as a part of a project by seniors to host an event to celebrate diversity, to honor inclusion and to recognize the importance of community.  This began under the direction of Mr. Johnson, a past Assistant Principal at Kilbourne and is now being facilitated by Mrs. Backhurst.

Last Thursday, Kilbourne's auditorium was transformed into a courtroom with two judges and many court officials present so that over 300 individuals could become United States citizens.  The courts still have COVID restrictions in place and so the people petitioning to become citizens could not have their family members in the auditorium with them, but hundreds of their loved ones packed the gymnasium to watch the event as it was livestreamed.  I know that many classrooms streamed the ceremony, but I elected to go down to the gym where I could watch alongside the families and it was so powerful and so emotional to witness.

Families were recording the proceedings on their phones of what they were watching on the televisions.  People were dressed up showing what a monumental day it was in their lives.  Some of the families were carrying huge "Congratulations" balloons and others held flowers to pass along to their loved ones.  The excitement and pride was palpable and it was contagious.

I cried as the 311 individuals took their oath becoming US citizens.  This is something that is so easy for me to take for granted and yet I am grateful for all of the privileges that I have simply because of the country where I was born.  Now, in the week of Thanksgiving, it is important that I pause and reflect on this more.

If you're interested in watching the ceremony and hearing the seniors present, I encourage you to check out the video on Worthington's YouTube channel.  I don't know if it will hold the same power as it did when I watched it in the gym, but I believe you will realize just how incredible it is that our students and staff had this opportunity.  A huge thank you to the seniors who did such a great job planning the event with Mrs. Backhurst.  It was a memorable, positive and exciting day!