On Friday, February 14, 2025, Northport High School hosted 75 people of different backgrounds whose naturalization ceremony took place in the school’s auditorium where music, celebration, and history occurred by way of the students, staff, and new citizens. Hailing from 31 countries, the candidates pledged allegiance to the United States and were welcomed to citizenship by an auditorium full of supportive presences.
Judges James Wicks and Joseph Bianco, joined by Superintendent Moyer and Principal Dennis, were among those who gave speeches at the ceremony. All of the speakers–including Northport High School French teacher Madame Borch, who was also one of the 75 new citizens–highlighted the significance of the event. Judge Bianco urged the candidates to not forget or disregard their pasts and shared stories about his own family, and Madame Borch gave a heartfelt speech where she thanked her students for their efforts in helping her pass the civics test. All the speakers at the event offered encouragement, kindness, and faith in the candidates. In addition, students at Northport High School participated by handing out flags, 
painting welcome banners, and providing patriotic music as members of the NHS band, orchestra, and choir.
As a witness to this event, I can affirm that the energy in the room was nothing less than supportive. Many students were moved by the speeches or the ceremony as a whole, and I even heard students wish that they could have helped more with the event. As many people said on that stage, hosting an event like this one was a privilege and an honor for Northport High School.
Although they may not have had personal connections with any of the candidates, the respect and compassion coming from the students was felt; when the candidates were officially declared citizens of the United States, the announcement was met with thunderous cheers and applause.
