Personal Narrative: My First Citizenship Program

BG
As I walked into Kaolin Mushroom Farm, I was scared of the power I held within my hands. “It was time,” I thought, I’m was going to teach my first citizenship class. The supervisor and I had already printed the papers, bought the official flashcards, and prepared the powerpoint, yet I still could not shake the butterflies in my stomach.
From the first moment I arrived, I never imagined the impact and success the program would achieve. An idea that started as an announcement on a whiteboard, turned into a two-night a week session that allowed immigrants access to free citizenship and English classes. From one to over twenty students, the program has grown to beyond belief. Every opportunity I had, I dedicated to helping better the lives of my new found friends and students. The joy and hope I saw within the class inspired me to keep volunteering, and helping those who needed it in a time of fear and uncertainty.
As the Hispanic and Latino communities have been slandered in recent times, I noticed fewer and fewer students. Of the students who attended, many told me that the hardships of assimilation and fears of discrimination held back my students from class. I was heartbroken; I hoped to establish a

One of my first students, Juana, was scheduled to take her citizenship test. As we practiced the flashcards and the multiple run throughs of the practice test, I saw the fear in her eyes, and for the first time I felt everything she was going through: the fear, the excitement, and the chance for a new and better life. That night we left feeling nervous, but the confidence in the work we achieved was present. The next day I did not receive a phone call from Juana, she was supposed to call upon her passing, but there was silence. Still seven o’clock nothing; however at 7:39 PM, I received a call from a very excited Juana who now is a citizen of the United