Mara Turbal’s squeals traveled the immensity of the Warren B. Rudman federal courthouse, where her parents, Anastasiya and Kiryl Turbal, swore an oath of “true faith and allegiance” to the United States.

Just three years old, Mara swung knit tights and glossy Mary Jane shoes over the edge of her seat. For her sake and that of their eldest daughter, Sasha, the Turbals insisted on becoming naturalized U.S. citizens alongside 71 others from 33 countries of origin on Friday.

“In this country, you can be anything, there are wide open horizons in front of you,” Kiryl said, moments before joining his family for a photo with Gov. Kelly Ayotte and federal Judge Landya B. McCafferty, who administered the oath.

Over last decade, the U.S. has seen almost eight million naturalizations, welcoming more than 800,000 new citizens during the 2024 fiscal year alone. The path to citizenship is often a protracted one, requiring that candidates pass an interview with a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officer and a basic English language and civics test. The process culminates in a naturalization ceremony where candidates become citizens.

Friday’s ceremony was “the most important place in New Hampshire this morning,” noted U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, telling the audience their “presence is proof of the enduring power of our founding principles.”

The Turbals’ climb toward citizenship began five years ago when they immigrated from Belarus to Virginia, where Anastasiya’s sister has lived for two decades. In their home country, both husband and wife were engineers. Today, Kiryl works in construction and Anastasiya stays home caring for their daughters, whom she hopes will have “opportunities for everything in the future because we choose to be citizens.”

Mara, who spent the ceremony clutching four American flags in one small fist, is the only Turbal who isn’t a naturalized citizen — she was born in Virginia. And since children under 18 can automatically become citizens when their parent naturalizes, eighth-grader Sasha avoided the naturalization gauntlet herself but spent her summer vacation quizzing her parents ahead of their test.

She recalled a few questions from their study guide: Who was the first president of the U.S.? How many voting members are there in the House of Representatives? Who is the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court now? What is one responsibility reserved for U.S. citizens? This answer came easily, as the Turbals and dozens of other candidates for naturalization had, for years, anticipated the day they would be able to vote. Other open doors for citizens include serving on a jury and running for public office.

Don Irankunda, a nineteen-year-old immigrant from Rwanda, knows something about waiting. In 2019, he arrived in America with his mother and younger siblings — a sister and two brothers who have yet to receive their citizenship. His youngest brother, J.J., was born in the U.S.

Irankunda enrolled in the Concord School District during the isolated, atomized learning landscape of the pandemic.

“I only knew how to say ‘no’ and ‘yes,’ and I didn’t even know ‘hi, hello,’ none of that,” he remembered. Gradually, his circumstances changed. Irankunda began wrestling and playing soccer as quarantine restrictions lifted. He made new friends by working at Wendy’s — friends that showed up to support his naturalization on Friday — and he grew more proficient in his English.

Irankunda hasn’t returned to visit his father and extended family in Rwanda since he immigrated. He hopes for a homecoming reunion in June, following his graduation from Concord High School. For Irankunda — and for thousands of other immigrants estranged from their countries of origin — citizenship means freedom to go, stay and leave wherever and whenever he pleases.

“If I could, I would retake the test for my siblings over and over and over,” Irankunda said. “This was special, it feels good. They will be here someday, too.”

Judge McCafferty noted that the percentage of immigrants who pass the naturalization test on the first try is close to 90 percent, adding that 98 percent of American citizens come from or can trace their heritage to another country.

“Each of you has your own reason for seeking citizenship. Whatever your reason, now you are citizens of the United States,” she said. “Congratulations!”