SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — 30 people from 12 countries officially became United States citizens at the Mary J. Treglia house on Thursday. This ceremony is held annually and is the end of countless hours of classes, studying, and more.

The Executive Director of the community house, Barbara Newhouse, works with many local immigrants and refugees. She states that it’s much more than just the end of the process.

“When you come to the U.S. and everyone looks at you as different, what you want most is to be a part,” Newhouse said, “and so a ceremony like this, is very important for the folks that became citizens today, and to their families.”

The Mary J. Treglia community house has been helping refugees and immigrants in Siouxland become a part of the community for 101 years.