On the football field at Concord High School, Joseph Gimaranzi’s teammates became teachers.

It was 2016, and he was a freshman – having just moved to New Hampshire from the Democratic Republic of Congo with his single mother and three older siblings. Sports quickly began school as Gimaranzi practiced his football skills as well as his English with the team.

And as he held his naturalization paper and a small American flag, posing for a photo with the judge who just swore him in as a United States citizen, Gimaranzi, who goes by GJ, couldn’t help but think of the friends that got him there, and frankly, how far he’d come.

“This means a lot to me,” he said. “A single mother with four children is obviously going to struggle. But being in the United States, with the opportunities, feels different.”

Coming here meant he could earn a high school degree and even attend college – an education he never imagined back home. He graduated from Concord High School in 2020 and now is enrolled at NHTI.

Gimaranzi was one of 60 people who became new citizens at a ceremony on Friday at the Warren B. Rudman federal courthouse in Concord.

The path to citizenship for the group began in 35 different countries, from Albania to Zimbabwe, said Judge Andrea Johnston.

Her story, too, began overseas. Johnston’s parents immigrated to the United States from Germany and Poland. They both are naturalized citizens.

“We are a nation of immigrants. Our families came to America seeking a better life. This is true for me” she said. “We are united by our identity as Americans and our commitment to the ideals of the nation that we have chosen as our home.”

While their path to citizenship started in their home countries, it wasn’t an easy process once they arrived in the United States either.

Obtaining citizenship in America is a tedious process of paperwork, tests and interviews. Applicants must have lived in the United States for five years to apply. If your spouse is a citizen, then it’s only a three-year waiting period.

A civics test questions applicants’ knowledge of U.S. history and government function. How many representatives are in Congress? What’s the name of the national anthem? Name one state that borders Canada. Name another that borders Mexico.

Once an applicant has obtained citizenship, they are now eligible to vote, run for elected office, serve on a jury and have the freedom to express themselves, worship as they wish and pursue “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

It’s also expected of citizens that there’s an allegiance to the country, in support of the Constitution.

But for a few in the audience, their pride in the United States precedes their citizenship status.

Karla and Rony Barreto moved to New Hampshire from Brazil six years ago when their son wanted to enlist in the Army. He needed them to take care of his kids while he served.

He’s since been deployed to Afghanistan and is now stationed in Texas. But remaining in New Hampshire with her grandkids instantly felt right for Karla.

“When I got here, I felt completely at home,” she said. “I think it was meant to be. It’s very special.”

As Addison Hurtig, who is going into seventh grade, sang the national anthem, Karla closed her eyes and leaned her head back toward the sky. She was thanking God, she said for her chance to become a citizen.

“This was the most important step of my life,” she said.

As Lydia Dayton collected her citizenship certificate, her husband Joseph held their 8-month-old baby Liam, waving a small American flag, waiting to congratulate her.

“My husband is a veteran, so that means a lot for him,” said Lydia.

Lydia moved to the United States 10 years ago from Algeria. The couple met at school.

Now as a citizen, the Constitution and freedom that come with it are important to her, she said.

And as Tony Violanti, from the Henry J. Sweeney Post 2 in Manchester, shook hands with the new citizens and offered them an American flag pin, his tie – adorned with the Constitution – reminded them of these new rights.

Rodrigo Molina knows his answer sounds cliche when he thinks about what becoming a United States citizen means to him. It could be scripted from the answers of the naturalization test and interview he had to complete.

But for him, America brings a newfound appreciation for the freedom of speech and economic opportunity – two things that were harder to come by in his home country of Colombia, with violence an inherent reality there, he said.

Beyond the rights, becoming a citizen finally marks a feeling of acceptance.

“Before it was this sense that I’m not from there, I’m not from here,” he said. “I belong now.”

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