By Amy Modesti
Tamarac High School hosted its first-ever naturalization ceremony, on Thursday, May 2. Seventeen individuals from Iraq, Russia, China, Australia, India, South Korea, Afghanistan, Trinidad and Nigeria became U.S. citizens.
In addition to the naturalization ceremony, residents, students, and the naturalized citizens enjoyed hearing patriotic music arrangements from members of the Tamarac High School Band, Choralaires, and the Tamarac Middle School sixth grade chorus. The songs included the “Star Spangled Banner” (sung by THS Choralaires), “One Nation” by Teresa Jennings (sung by TMS 6th Grade Chorus and THS Choralaires), “God Bless the USA” by Lee Greenwood (sung by TMS 6th Grade Chorus), and the Pledge of Allegiance, spoken by Renna Poulin, Class of 2019 and Catrina Murphy, Class of 2021. Following the welcoming remarks and the presentation of the certificates of naturalization, the event attendees and the naturalized citizens were treated to a small reception.
The new citizen remarks were provided by Baryalay Wardak, who discussed his journey to obtain U.S. Citizenship. Originally from Afghanistan, Wardak worked with the U.S. government during the Afghan conflict, when extremists were terrorizing his country during the war following the attacks on 9/11. In 2012, the U.S. granted Wardak a visa to enter the United States, which he did with his family in 2013.
Since then, the Wardak family loves their life in the United States and has traveled cross-country to California. Wardak currently works for the federal government, and his wife is a college student. Wardak was among the seventeen individuals to be naturalized and receive their certificate of naturalization.
Congratulations to all who are now naturalized citizens!