-Ashley Thompson-
Pensacola Junior College is offering a free, six-week prep class for those who are eligible to take the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services test.
Nearly 1.2 million people legally immigrant to the United States every year according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
“The process to become an American citizen can often be a long one and can get quite expensive. Including fingerprinting, a medical exam and various fees, the cost can exceed $600,” said Janice Hervieux, instructor for the citizen prep class.
Hervieux has been teaching it for over 10 years.
“I love the people and how attentive and appreciative they are to be here,” said Hervieux.
“I love learning about their different countries and cultures too.”
Originally from New York, Hervieux had a friend who was teaching a citizen prep class to Italian immigrants and while working overseas for the government, gained interest in teaching English to speakers of other languages over 18 years ago.
This class encompasses American history, the election process and help filling out necessary paper work. In order to participate in the class, students must pass a preliminary assessment. After completing the prep course, they may then send in an application to the USCIS and set up an appointment for an interview.
Over the six weeks it takes to complete the course, students are exposed not only to the history of the country, but also to the culture.
“In South Korea, we are very traditional. Family to family, grandmother to mother, mother to children. Here you go to nursery care immediately and the mother goes back to work,” said Oaksu Doyle, a student.
When Doyle first came to America, she was shocked by the philosophy of Immanuel Kant and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, more specifically on their views on family. However, she loves being in America and how generous the people are.
On any typical night during class, students will gather and collect their weekly worksheets and begin working on them. The questions on the worksheets range from, “Who wrote the Star Spangled Banner?” to “What do the Stripes on the U.S. Flag represent?”
Next, as a class they will go over the answers to the worksheets and end with watching a video on a specific topic, such as the War of 1812.
“The most important thing is that everybody is supportive. Whatever I want to do, I can do it,” said Janifa Sultana, a student at PJC from Bangladesh.