WINTER PARK, Fla. – Twenty people from 14 countries were naturalized on Independence Day during Winter Park's Fourth of July celebration.
"I applied last October. I found out I got through it in June, and today's the day," Ammoy Hagigal said. "So it's been a really long road, but I'm here."
Hagigal is originally from Jamaica, and up until now, had been forced to pay for a lot of expenses out of pocket, including college tuition.
She said that won't be a problem anymore.
"I didn't get financial aid for a lot of reasons. It's so funny. I'm actually writing a book about this whole thing -- from Jamaica until now. I'm just excited I got (to become a U.S. citizen)," she said.
Lillian Carrasquero was just as excited. She moved from Venezuela more than 20 years ago and also became a U.S. citizen on Monday.
"It's an honor for me to become a citizen today. It's a celebration. I love the United States," said Carrasquero, who also celebrated her birthday on July Fourth.