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Sofia’s Citizenship Story
Posted on Nov 03 2016
In the year preceding the presidential election, Pro Bono Project Director Anne Applebaum has matched many volunteer attorneys with clients that are seeking to naturalize as citizens in time to vote in November’s election.
Sofia is one of those clients. She was thrilled to attend her swearing-in ceremony on Monday, October 26th, and will vote in the 2016 American presidential election for the first time in her life.
When Sofia was young, she left her home in Uruguay to make a new one in Miami, Florida. She eventually settled in Minnesota. While the north was considerably colder, it offered a better education for her children. In Minnesota, Sofia found “the opportunity to live and thrive, which inspires [her] to give back to [her] community.”
Naturalization was an obvious next step for Sofia because Minnesota is her home now. Yet the path to citizenship can be confusing. Luckily, a friend directed her to ILCM where she received help immediately. From there on out, she felt secure in her choice to trust ILCM. The Pro Bono Project paired Sofia with a volunteer attorney, who made sure her application for citizenship was strong, and helped her prepare for the citizenship test.
Now that Sofia is a citizen, she knows her future is before her. She is taking classes at Century College, attends the First Unitarian Church in Minneapolis, and also takes time to meditate and relax. With ILCM’s help, Sofia feels inspired to help those around her and contribute to society. And on Tuesday, November 8th Sofia will cast her vote!