RICHMOND, Va. — More than 80 people became United States citizens Thursday at a naturalization ceremony hosted by the Virginia Museum of History and Culture in Richmond, coinciding with Constitution Day.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger delivered the keynote address at the ceremony, which was also attended by nearly 200 local students who came to learn about civics.
Among the new citizens was Marielly Sanchez, originally from the Dominican Republic, who waited more than a year after passing her citizenship exam for the ceremony to take place. She celebrated the milestone with her mother.
For Sanchez, the most meaningful part of becoming a citizen is the right to vote.
"One of the most exciting about the whole day is that I finally get to vote," Sanchez said. "Especially nowadays, and not a lot of people are voting. And the age of how our country is moving, I'm glad that I'm able to be on the side of the decision in a way."
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