St. Clair County Community College to hold naturalization ceremony for fourth consecutive year

On September 17, St. Clair County Community College (or SC4) is planning to host a Naturalization Ceremony. The event will take place on Thursday at 11 a.m. at the SC4 Fieldhouse, and will celebrate and welcome the participants as they officially become United States citizens.

The ceremony is to take place on Constitution day, and will be the fourth year in a row the community college has teamed up with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (or USCIS) to play host to a naturalization ceremony. The ceremony will be presided over by Federal Judge Kimberly Altman.

Dr. Joseph Ofori-Dankwa, a business professor at Saginaw Valley State University, and a naturalized U.S. citizen himself, will be the featured keynote speaker at the ceremony. Dr. Ofori-Dankwa’s speech will share his personal experience of coming to the United States, becoming a United States citizen, and the significance of the ceremony taking place for the fourth time at the college.

In an article posted on St. Clair County Community College’s website, Dr. Pete Lacey, who serves as the school’s Chief Collaboration Officer spoke about the event, saying, “Becoming a U.S. citizen is an extraordinary accomplishment, and we are honored to celebrate this important moment with these individuals and their families. Hosting this ceremony on Constitution Day makes the occasion even more meaningful as we recognize the newest members of our American community and celebrate the many experiences, backgrounds and perspectives they bring with them.”

At last year’s ceremony, almost 150 people from over 40 different countries took part in the final steps of the naturalization process on the grounds of SC4’s campus. The ceremony acts as a chance for community members, staff, faculty, students, friends, and family members to bear witness and celebrate this milestone in their loved one’s life.

Constitution Day is observed every year on September 17, and commemorates the day the U.S. Constitution was signed back in 1787. The holiday provides an auspicious setting for a naturalization ceremony, where the participants formally take the Oath of Allegiance, and become full citizens of the United States of America.

St. Clair County Community College invites all members of the community to attend the event, and join in celebrating the newest members of American citizenry, and their families.

More information about St. Clair County Community College can be found on the school’s website.