Mickey Starling: Greene Publishing, Inc.
After 37 years of living as a legal resident of the United States, Germany native, Christine Peters has a new status and some new plans. On Thursday, March 29, Peters was sworn in as a citizen of the United States by the Honorable Judge Charles A. Stampelos, at the Federal Courthouse, in Tallahassee. Peters is now eager to register to vote and apply for a passport.
Peters' pathway to citizenship began in July of 2017 when Peters filled out a 30-page naturalization application, followed by two trips to Jacksonville for further processing. On the second trip to Jacksonville in January, Peters passed a 100 question exam covering the basic fundamentals of US history and government. Peters was exempted from the English portion of the testing due to her lengthy residence in the US.
The group that came to help celebrate Christine Peters' first day as an American citizen are pictured with the Honorable Judge Charles A. Stampelos (center) after the ceremony.
During the swearing-in ceremony in Tallahassee, Peters was joined by 68 other applicants from all over the world, including natives of Russia, Lithuania, Cuba, Mexico, India, Bolivia, and others. "It was a great example of what America is," said Peters. To her surprise, Peters was informed during the ceremony that all of the new citizens were to say something to the large audience attending the event, something she was not comfortable with. However, she steadied her nerves and told the crowd, "I've raised my sons here. I love my community, church, and job. I am so proud that I can say that I am now part of 'we the people.'" Peters' proud son, Andrew Peters, remarked that his mother seemed more literate than many of the other recipients.
Christine Peters enjoyed the support of her students while becoming a citizen of the United States. Pictured, from left to right, are: Nathan Reader, Emilee Spicer, Amelia Riegsecker, Christine Peters and Kaylee McClune.
To help her celebrate this tremendous milestone, Peters was allowed to reserve 20 seats for friends and family. As a teacher at New Testament Christian School, Peters took this opportunity as a good "teachable" moment and invited 15 current and former students to see the process first-hand. Five adults were also invited to witness the occasion. While taking pictures with the judge after the ceremony, Stampelos asked Peters if her students knew the three branches of government. "Oh, yes they do," said Peters. Stampelos went on to state that more media coverage should be given to the legal immigration process so that others will see the importance and advantages of doing immigration the right way. Peters is the widow of the late Allen Favors and the late Dewayne Peters, both of Madison. Peters has three children: Arlen Favors, Adrian Peters and Andrew Peters.