“I love the way that they are teaching. The way that they train us – it’s very interesting. You gain so much.”

Molly Tucker, Civics student

A native of Lagos, Nigeria, Molly Tucker has long been a lover of learning. After attending college in Lagos, Molly went on to work at a hospital for several years, taking care of elderly and disabled patients. In 2006, she decided to move permanently to the United States and began to settle into her new life in Chicago.

With her sister in the United States, Molly had some extra guidance as she navigated her new American life. Once while frequenting the West Ridge area, her sister pointed out the Indo-American Center and informed her about the citizenship courses that it held. She recommended that, should Molly decide to file for citizenship, she stop by IAC.

Eventually, Molly did visit the Indo-American Center to look into her sister’s suggestion. After attending one class, she quickly decided that she would be one of the regular faces in the classroom. The history and civics principles taught in the class captivated Molly’s interest and learning quickly became her primary goal. Says Molly, “I don’t even mind if I send in my citizenship application – I just want to come to class.”

Molly’s dedication to the course is especially impressive, as she comes each morning directly from her job, where she works overnight in a direct support program caring for autistic clients. Despite her exhaustion, she stays engaged and focused, absorbing all she can about America and its history. She often surprises her husband, an American citizen, with her extensive knowledge about his country’s story.

Molly considers the teaching to be among the greatest strengths of the program. “I hear a lot of people who don’t know about this place,” says Molly. “They go to their interviews and they fail. If they had been here, they would have passed. If they had someone to teach them, they would have passed.” With dedication from outstanding students like Molly, our teaching staff can succeed in helping clients learn more about their new home and achieve their citizenship goals.

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