It was a moment years in the making for Mariana Zahopoulos. On Friday, December 13, Mariana became Marianna Kilinkarova Zahopoulos… officially attaining United States citizenship. Zahopoulos was one of 30 individuals to take part in the naturalization ceremony in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York with the Honorable Mae A. D’Agostino presiding. A new start in America, Marianna also used the opportunity to change her name, adding her father’s last name of Kilinkarova to her own.
Marianna joined the North Colonie Central School District as a part-time food service worker in 2018. Originally from Greece, she spoke very little English, but worked extremely hard and was promoted to full-time four years later. Fast forward another two years and Marianna is a well-respected employee in the North Colonie community who enjoys interacting with students every day in the cafeterias at Shaker High School. “I like that so much. I like to talk with them, feed them. I like that job so much,” said Marianna.
“Marianna is an incredibly hard worker. Her dedication to providing our students with nutritious, high-quality meals is truly admirable,” said Assistant Director of Food Service Alex Clements.
Clements was in the courtroom to witness her colleague taking the oath of citizenship, along with Director of Food Service Lisa Ostrowski and several other North Colonie representatives. Most importantly, Marianna was joined by her daughter Andriana, a sixth-grader at Shaker Middle School.
As part of the ceremony, candidates were presented for citizenship by U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration Services Officer Erik Stefancik. Courtroom Deputy Britney Norton then administered the oath for citizenship as Marianna and her 29 counterparts stood and raised their right hands. Following a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, our newest citizens were individually presented with their certificates for citizenship before a rendition of “God Bless America” to close the ceremony. It was an occasion that those in attendance will not soon forget.
“Watching Marianna during her naturalization ceremony, alongside her daughter Andriana, was truly inspiring. The ceremony was incredibly moving and filled me with immense pride to be an American citizen. Even more than that, it felt deeply special to be a part of such an important day for Marianna and her family. She has spent countless hours studying and preparing for this moment, and seeing her achieve this milestone was a testament to her dedication and perseverance,” said Clements.
Marianna was overjoyed to finally become an American citizen. She says it was one of her biggest dreams when she first came to the United States. “I love the freedom. I love the flag. I love the language. I love the people. I love everything. I feel like it’s my country.”