Video: Starkville Helps Swear In 102 New U.S. Citizens

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STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) — America is now 102 people bigger. That’s how many became citizens in Starkville Friday.

“I feel blessed, I feel honored ,and I feel also committed to also continue serving this community,” says new U.S.citizen Salwa Gendi.

“I’m very excited, very happy, part of the American dream. I love this country,” says new U.S. citizen Merlin Jacob.

“I love this country because of the liberty and the freedom that we have,” says new U.S. citizen Destiny Victory Lima.

It’s not hard to see how excited they are for this moment. A moment built on the promise of opportunity.

“Ideal community that we all look up to where everybody can be himself there are no ceiling for the dreams. If someone is working,” says Gendi.

Breaking barriers is why Destiny Victory Lima is here. She changed her name from Shirley to represent her new country.

“In our countries a woman of 50, she’s already gone and done and over here we still go as far as we want to go,” says Lima.

and it’s a sense of community that has kept these woman in the states.

“I would say a miniature picture of the kingdom of God where everybody lives together from all over the world and they can create a community together,” says Gendi.

“People in Mississippi are very friendly. I noticed that compared to the northern states. I love Mississippi,” says Jacob.