Achieving citizenship requires much preparation, support

Becoming an official United States citizen is the dream of many an immigrant, but it's no small task.

It requires demonstrating an understanding of the English language, knowledge of U.S. government and an interview with a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officer. Cape Girardeau Adult Education and Literacy program provides classes to help make the citizenship dream a reality for aspiring Americans.

Jackson's Yan Zahner is from China, but she has lived in America since 2010. She is among the latest to be tested for citizenship, having been scheduled to take her test today. Though she has been preparing for years and has proven herself a strong student, she still admits to being nervous. This is where all the lessons from teacher Rollene Storms come into play. Those lessons involved reading, writing and speaking English; role-playing; and civics.

In Storms, the program has someone who knows what it takes to get her students to their goal. For four years she has taught this class, during which time she has helped people from more than 30 countries -- many of them quite successful in their native lands -- become Americans.

Other methods of study for test preparation exist, including the Internet, but the classes provide an advantage. "It's a better way to learn," Zahner told the Southeast Missourian recently.

Her instructor agrees. "We really push our students -- let's speak proper English. We want them to know how smart you are," said Storms. Zahner approached her testing determined to do just that.

Sometimes, those of us born and raised here fail to appreciate the greatness of our country. Hearing about people like Zahner, who dedicate years of their lives learning the history, customs and culture we often take for granted reminds us how blessed we are. And we appreciate the teachers who work so hard to help make dreams of citizenship come true.

We encourage those interested in taking the citizenship class to attend a registration reception on either Aug. 11 or 12 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the adult learning center, 409 N. Clark Street in Cape Girardeau.