A Civics Field Trip that Will Make You Proud to be an American

Photo by Laura Moon/St. John the Evangelist School

Lianne Taruc has been a Catholic school student all her life. Now a social studies teacher in Atlanta through Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education, Taruc recently had the opportunity to teach her 5th graders their most memorable lesson of the year.

On January 26, Taruc, a native of the Philippines, became a United States citizen. Her students---all 83 of them---led the room in the national anthem and the Pledge of Allegiance.

“All throughout the ceremony, my students kept proudly waving the American flag,” Taruc said. “They brought so much life to the event! When I finished taking my oath, I turned to look at them and saw all these beaming faces giving me their thumbs up and waving their flags!”

Departures from the daily school routine tend to form exciting and cherished memories for young students, but this event was no ordinary trip to the state capitol.

When Taruc first told her students that she was about to take a citizenship test, she said, “they told me if the immigration officer asked if I had family in Atlanta, I should give their names!”

The students’ presence and involvement signified much more than a fun civics field trip; it was an exercise of a vibrant Catholic community. The fact that they were able to participate in such a personal way enriched the entire St. John the Evangelist family.  

“My work community has been incredibly supportive,” Taruc said. “My students and teachers were praying for me throughout this process.”

Taruc’s school community includes her housemates, ACE 21 and 22 community members Jessica Puricelli, Kevin Schager, Jackie Salas, Louis Sievers, and David Lee.

“As my interview date and citizenship test was coming closer,” she said, “our dinner conversations would turn into lively discussions about American history and civics as they took turns quizzing me.” After the naturalization ceremony, Taruc said, they “insisted that we celebrate by cooking an amazing American dinner of burgers and fries!”

The diversity and community that characterize Catholic schools are also what Taruc loves about America. Living and working in the U.S., she said, “has given me the opportunity to meet and work with people from different cultures and backgrounds. [It] has opened so many opportunities for me to grow while simultaneously allowing me the freedom to celebrate my roots. My world has become bigger and I am grateful.”

The Archdiocese of Atlanta shared a video of the day’s events featuring Miss Taruc and her students.