Victoria Eaves was nervous before making promises during a special ceremony on Friday.

“Like pre-wedding jitters in a good way,” she said.

Eaves wasn’t getting married though.

She and 33 others vowed their allegiance to the United States of America as they became new naturalized citizens.

“Now, I get to register to vote,” said Eaves, a military wife who was born in Germany and has lived in Colorado Springs for 16 years. “It’s been a long time coming. It’s exciting.”

Smiles stretched across the largest meeting room at Library 21c on Friday. About 200 family and friends attended the citizenship ceremony for their loved ones who were born in an alphabet of 20 countries around the globe, from Bangladesh and Belize to Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom.

Before taking the oath, each had to pass an interview and naturalization test with about 100 questions. Some have been working for years to reach that final stage.

Dr. Yong Jeon, who specializes in internal medicine, was born in South Korea and moved to Colorado from Argentina 13 years ago on a work visa when he was studying to become a doctor. That’s how long he’s been trying for citizenship, but his medical studies included certain requirements that lengthened the process.

During the test, Jeon said he got so flustered that he missed an easy question. He forgot the year he got married, writing 2018.

“They corrected me — it was 2017,” he laughed.

Jeon’s wife and young son presented him with a bouquet of flowers in recognition of his dedication to the effort.

The ceremony cementing his status was very meaningful to Ori Hadad, who hails from Israel.

“It means more than anything,” he said. “I couldn’t be happier.”

Hadad, who runs a jewelry company, has spent the entire 12 years he has been in America seeking citizenship. He said he wanted to undertake the task after he got married but filed late, which affected the procedure.

“The system needs a little improvement,” he said.

Eaves echoed that thought, saying people who are already here should have a smoother path to gaining citizenship. It took 20 years to realize her dream. By the time she was granted an interview and took the examination earlier this year, she said it was easy. 

During the ceremony, recipients sang the national anthem, clapped as countries represented were recognized, took the official oath of allegiance, which was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, listened to a video of congratulations from President Donald Trump and accepted an official certificate as a symbol of conferral of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

“You’ve all worked hard to achieve this,” Eva Rupp of the Centennial office of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services told the group. “I know each of you has been doing things a good citizen does. I know you’ve been good neighbors and friends, you’ve contributed to the economy and shared your food and culture.”

A registration table set up by the League of Women Voters of the Pikes Peak Region was busy after the event. People who are born in America often forget voting is a privilege, not a right that automatically happens when they turn 18, said Shelly Roehrs, spokeswoman for the nonpartisan organization.

Juan Avila’s mom, who’s from Mexico and has lived in the U.S. for decades but doesn’t speak English, waited until she turned 65 to try for citizenship, he said. She met the qualifications to take the test in Spanish through an interpreter using a modified civics exam.

“It means a lot to her, for sure,” Avila said. “She’s been so happy, so nervous, so excited. My mom likes that she has more freedom here than in Mexico.”

The new citizens also are able to sign up for passports, Rupp said.

The Pikes Peak Library District not only hosts naturalization events a few times a year but also offers a 10-week “Pathway to Citizenship” course, English as a Second Language classes and drop-in “Speak English” opportunities, said Sandra Hancock, adult education director for the library district.

“To see people who are so excited about becoming Americans is always really inspirational and tugs at your heart strings and makes you remember how privileged you are,” she said.