149 become U.S. citizens in OSU’s first naturalization ceremony since 2005

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Oklahoma State University’s Office of International Students and Scholars held a naturalization ceremony for 149 individuals who wanted to become United States citizens at 11 a.m., Friday, Oct. 19, in the Student Union Theater. Two of those have ties to OSU: assistant professor Dr. Ashish Ranjan and alumnus Charles Thomas. Forty countries were represented at the ceremony.

International Students and Scholars worked closely with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma to bring this event to OSU, which was the first naturalization ceremony held on campus since 11 citizens took their oath at OSU in 2005. Typically, naturalization ceremonies are conducted at the Citizenship and Immigration Services’ field office in Oklahoma City.

“We were honored to host a naturalization,” said Trisha Iyonsi, Office of International Students and Scholars international tax coordinator. “We were so excited to have the privilege to be involved in such an important event in the lives of these new U.S. citizens.”

The Office of International Students and Scholars facilitates the education and personal development of international students and scholars and assists with cultural exchange and enrichment at Oklahoma State University and in Stillwater. The office represents more than 1,600 international students and scholars from 88 countries. International Students and Scholars also oversees the OSU International Student Organization, an umbrella organization for more than 20 area clubs representing different cultures from around the world. The organization is available to all OSU students interested in international culture and diversity. For more information, visit its website at iss.okstate.edu.

View photos here.