BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Twenty-four Vermonters officially became citizens of the United States Wednesday at a Burlington naturalization ceremony.
There was music, flags, and patriotism for the two dozen people from 16 countries who took the oath to officially become Americans.
“I feel absolutely wonderful to be here. It’s just the greatest place to be on the Earth as far as I’m concerned,” said Trudy Agres, who hails from New Brunswick but has spent the last 49 years in the U.S., 20 of those in Vermont after meeting her husband. “I moved to the United States, you know to get married with him and eight years later he died of cancer. So, you know, life goes on but I’m happy to be here.”
Agres says she’s looking forward to making her voice heard in local and national elections. “I am excited more than I can say more than my I can express it. It was wonderful. It was great, it was liberating,” she said
As American citizens we all share a responsibility to each other and all future Americans,” said U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Heather Cooper, who presided over the ceremony.
Kamanie Sweet, a new citizen from Jamaica, took her girls up as she accepted her flag. “I decided to take this step because I wanted to be a pillar in my community to be a positive influence in my sweet little girls’ life,” she said.