UND welcomes new Americans on Constitution Day
For fifth straight year, UND hosts naturalization ceremony on anniversary of nation’s foundational document
On the 239th anniversary of the adoption of the U.S. Constitution, 49 new Americans swore their allegiance to the foundational document – becoming the nation’s newest citizens in the process.
Representing 25 nations of origin, the new citizens gathered at the Memorial Union on Thursday, September 17, to complete the final step in their journey to citizenship – a naturalization ceremony concluding with the Oath of Allegiance. The ceremony has been a Constitution Day tradition at UND since 2022.
Alice Senechal, magistrate judge for the United States District Court of North Dakota, presided over the ceremony, calling it “an honor and one of the very best parts of my job.”
Befitting Constitution Day – and the requirement that applicants for citizenship demonstrate proficiency in the subject – Senechal administered a short civics quiz to attendees.
For Belyse Kwizera, a native of Burundi, her path to citizenship was an arduous one. She spent 10 years in a refugee camp in Kenya before arriving in the U.S.
Kwizera expressed gratitude and excitement toward the opportunities afforded by citizenship, including the ability to provide her three children with an education.
“I’m very happy – I love this country,” she said.
UND President Andy Armacost addressed the new citizens, expressing an affinity for the Oath of Allegiance – an oath similar to the one he took throughout his career in the U.S. Air Force.
“Our universities across the nation foster the ideas of what it means to be a great citizen,” he said. “That sense of free speech that was part of the quiz, that sense of building community, is what we do at a university. There’s no better place to connect what we celebrate today, with what we hope to do here at the University of North Dakota.”
“Our country is built on an extraordinary idea – that we bring people together,” Armacost continued. “Not just those who were born here, but also those who choose to come here to do something exceptional. To celebrate freedom, a sense of equality and opportunity.”
Two recently minted Americans, North Dakota First Lady Kjersti Armstrong and Joonghwa Lee, chair of UND’s Department of Communication, spoke about their journey to citizenship. Armstrong, a native of Oslo, Norway, encouraged attendees to share the rich cultures and traditions of their homelands with their fellow citizens.
“One of the most beautiful things about this country is that you do not have to give up who you are to become an American,” she said. “In fact, America is stronger when it embraces the fullness of who we all are. Each of you adds something valuable – take pride in that. From this day forward, you will help shape what America and North Dakota are, and even more importantly, what they can become.”
A native of South Korea, Lee spearheaded UND’s Constitution Day Project alongside his wife Soojung Kim, dean of UND’s School of Graduate Studies. The project showcases the pathways to citizenship of over 30 new Americans residing in the Greater Grand Forks Region.
For Lee, the decision to become a U.S. citizen was an emotional one. South Korean law does not recognize dual citizenship, meaning Lee was forced to renounce his Korean citizenship upon becoming an American.
“I called my mother and she cried,” he said. “For her, my decision made the distance between us feel even greater.”
“I understood her feelings, but my life had also grown here,” Lee continued. “I met my lovely wife here, we built our family and I found a career that I love. And more importantly, I found a home in North Dakota – wonderful neighbors, colleagues and friends.”
At the ceremony’s conclusion, North Dakota Secretary of State Michael Howe encouraged the new citizens to exercise their franchise in the upcoming election, adding that North Dakota is the only state in the nation without voter registration. Eligible voters simply need to arrive at the polls with the appropriate identification.
“Please do not take your right to vote for granted,” he said. “We all have a responsibility to choose our leaders to represent our friends, family and neighbors. I urge you all to be active participants in our democracy.”
