Doru Pacurari earned two master’s degrees from West Virginia University before landing a job there as a professional technologist.
But calling Pacurari another in a long list of Gold and Blue successes is only half the story.
An immigrant from Romania, Pacurari broadened that palette to include the familiar red, white and blue colors of the American flag on Friday (March 9) as he and his daughter, Paula, were sworn in as U.S. citizens at the WVU College of Law’s Marlyn Lugar courtroom.
The occasion was history-making for the 72 new citizens who participated in the ceremony but also a first for WVU. Included in the group were 10 WVU students and many other employees or others with connections to the University.
Naturalization ceremonies typically are held in public courtrooms or offices of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services but Michael Blumenthal, visiting professor at the WVU College of Law and co-director of the school’s Immigration Law Clinic, invited USCIS to hold the event at WVU.
“It’s a great privilege to host this naturalization ceremony,” College of Law Dean Joyce McConnell told the audience. “It is the first to be held in this courtroom. I hope it’s not the last.”
The ceremony featured messages from McConnell, law professor and former WVU President David C. Hardesty Jr., USCIS officials and a taped message from President Barack Obama. The participants took an oath and recited the Pledge of Allegiance before each was invited to the stage to receive a naturalization certificate.
“This is an important day for you. Today you have been awarded United States citizenship, perhaps the most prized citizenship in the world,” Hardesty said. “You now are entitled to equal protection under our laws. You are entitled to hold an American passport. You are entitled to vote in every election. You are entitled to the protection of a nation that is more powerful than any other in history.
“This is also an important day for our University. We are proud to be part of this important day in your life.”
Click to hear WVU's Doru Pacurari talk about becoming a U.S. citizen and what it means to go through the naturalization process with his daughter, Paula.
The 72 participants were from West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania and represented 32 countries: Australia, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, China, Cote D’Voire, Denmark, El Salvador, Germany, India, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Kenya, Liberia, Mexico, Netherlands, Pakistan, Peru, Phillipines, Romania, Russia, Somalia, South Korea, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom and Zambia.
Doru Pacurari arrived in Morgantown in 1998 with not much more than hope and admission into the forestry program at Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design. He knew little English and not much more about WVU or West Virginia.
“Absolute chance,” is how Pacurari describes his route. “At that time, I knew somebody at Forestry so I decided to apply and they took me. I came here for school and decided to stay here.”
After completing a forestry master’s, he earned a master’s in computer science and eventually landed a job in WVU’s Student Systems Management. Like many friends and family members attending the ceremony, Pacurari’s co-workers shared in his accomplishment. They lined the route to his office in One Waterfront Place with red, white and blue streamers and added similar d�cor to his office.
“I worked for it for a long time – and now it’s happening,” Doru said of his new citizenship.
Paula, a 19-year-old sophomore studying chemical engineering at WVU, had an advantage over her father by being raised in America and being, “fully Americanized,” according to Doru. She left Romania at age 4 and says she has no memories of that country. She also said she’s never been treated differently by any of her U.S.-born friends.
Click to hear Paula Pacurari, a sophomore chemical engineering major at WVU, describe the feeling of becoming a U.S. citizen.
But that didn’t stop her from realizing the impact of the day’s events.
“I woke up this morning and I’m thinking, ‘It’s finally here, it’s finally going to happen,’” Paula said.
Paula didn’t fully realize the impact of becoming a U.S. citizen until she was rejected for a job at NASA because she wasn’t one. Now, she’s eager to take full advantage of her new status.
“I can work at NASA now. I’ll be able to vote. I’m looking forward to a lot other things,” she said.
Making the occasion even more special was sharing it with her father.
“I’m proud of him and inspired by him,” she said.
Other new citizens shared the Pacurari’s sense of joy and accomplishment.
E. Amenan, originally from the Ivory Coast, drove from Augusta, in the eastern panhandle, with her husband. Once a refugee from a war-torn area, Amenan is now studying to be nurse. Her husband recalled how she had walked 65 miles through her homeland to get away from rebels.
“I would not have had the opportunities at home that I have in the U.S.,” Amenan said.
Riaz Cassim, and his wife, Tanya Fancy, both successful surgeons for WVUHealthcare, expressed relief at finally becoming naturalized.
“I’ve been waiting a long time for this,” Cassim said.
Click to hear Valerie Tobias, director of Pittsburgh's U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Field Office, lead the participants in their oath of citizenship at WVU's College of Law.
A familiar face was Charity Kabaiku, who starred in track and cross country for WVU in the 1990s and is now a part-time student in the Human and Community Development program at Davis College. Then known as Charity Wachera, she was WVU’s first All-American cross country runner.
As she gathered family members for photos and hugs she summed up her recent life-changing experience.
“I’m from Kenya,” she said, “but not anymore.”
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