Graduates of Moultrie Tech’s summer English Literacy, Civics and Naturalization class in Tifton celebrate their accomplishment and preparation for the naturalization exam. Pictured on the front row, left to right, are Ascension Arzate, Estela Avila, Margarita Zermeno, class instructor Dina Willis, Juventina Estrada and Maria E. Ricardo. Back row, left to right, are Justino Morales , Apolinar Aguilar, Juan Carlos Moreno , Mario A. Gonzalez , Nelson A. Rodriguez and Nanette Gonzalez. Graduates not pictured are Elsa Mendez , Jose Saldana, Azucena Salazar and Jose Sanchez. Of the 15 graduates, Avila, Mendez, Morales, Moreno, Rodriguez, Mario Gonzalez and Nanette Gonzalez have already passed the naturalization exam and are now U.S. citizens.

MOULTRIE , GA. For 15 people who have settled in the Southwest Georgia area from all over the world, the date of September 17 and its celebration of Constitution and Citizenship Day marks a milestone in a long and arduous journey to become United States citizens.

Moultrie Technical College’s English Literacy, Civics and Naturalization class, which is offered free of charge to anyone wishing to learn about the United States in order to apply for citizenship and to take the naturalization exam, finished its summer classes in August.

September’s Constitution and Citizenship Day, created by U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd as an amendment to the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2005, celebrates the privileges and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship and is an apt time to recognize those seeking naturalization.

Class instructor Dina Willis, a native of Guatemala, says of the classes, “They learn writing and speaking English through exercises, games and dictations. They also practice learning the answers to the 100 questions found on the naturalization test which covers government, U.S. history and every day living.”

Willis, a registered and certified translator through the state of Georgia, has been teaching Moultrie Tech’s naturalization classes since 2003 and has seen almost 200 graduates in that time.

“After 14 weeks, they know everything they need to know to pass the test. It is very difficult to pass the test without taking the class first.”

However, taking the test is one of the last hurdles one must clear to become a citizen. A person must live as a permanent resident in the states for five years before they can even apply for U.S. citizenship; or they may apply after three years if they are married to a U.S. citizen.

The U.S. Immigration Office then takes fingerprints and begins the interview process. Hopefuls must wait an additional eight months before they will be called to take the exam, which comes with a price tag of $410.

Willis estimates only about five percent actually go through the whole process. She attributes this to the expense, the waiting time and the vast number of those who apply.

The good news for graduates of the summer class is that seven of the 15 have already passed the test and are now U.S. citizens.

For more information on Moultrie Technical College’s English Literacy, Civics and Naturalization classes, call 229-891-7000 in Moultrie or 229-391-2600. Interested students may also contact the Tiftarea Workforce Center at 229-382-0505.

In addition to celebrating new citizens, Moultrie Tech is offering its current degree, diploma and certificate program students the opportunity to exercise their natural U.S. citizenship during the Constitution Day festivities as well. Any student who has not gone through the process to become a registered voter may do so through the MTC Office of Student Financial Services during the week of September 10 th.

The college will also offer current students a Constitution Day quiz contest that will end on Monday, September 17. Drawings will take place on September 18 for quiz winners, and prizes will be awarded.