After eight years, Ryan becomes U.S. citizen


On July 24, Colin Ryan of Monticello, a native of Ireland, became a U.S. citizen. It was a 10-month process to fill all of the legal requirements before the citizenship ceremony on Des Moines. Ryan was one of 40 others taking the oath of citizenship, representing 26 countries. His father, Nicky, made the trip from Ireland for the event. (Photos courtesy of Colin Ryan)

Colin Ryan poses for a photo with his family: wife Lindsay, daughter Aisling and son Nick in front of the American Flag. Now that Ryan is a U.S. citizen, he plans to register to vote in time to cast his “yes” vote on Sept. 11 for the Monticello school bond issue.
Eyes Sept. 11 bond issue with first vote
By: 
Kim Brooks
Express Editor

     Eight years ago Colin Ryan, from Dublin, Ireland, moved to Monticello, Iowa. He and his wife, Lindsay (Randolph) have two kids: Aisling, who’s in first grade, and Nick, 3 years old.

     After spending this amount of time in the United States, Ryan decided to make it official.

     In July, Ryan took an oath to become a U.S. citizen, a process that he actually started late last summer.

     And now that he’s a legal U.S. citizen, Ryan is working hard to become a registered voter in time to cast his first vote on Tuesday, Sept. 11 in support of a new middle school/central campus in Monticello.

     “When I came, I didn’t know I wanted to stay,” admitted Ryan. He clearly fell in love with Iowa, more precisely, Monticello, Iowa.

     After buying a house in town this spring, Ryan said that solidified his decision to become a permanent resident.

     “Lindsay is very settled here,” he said of his wife and her job teaching for the Monticello Community School District and having her family close by.

     “Over time, I realized the value of living in a small town,” said Ryan.

     Coming from Dublin, a major city with over half a million people, Ryan said Iowa was definitely a culture shock. But it grew on him.

     “You can actually get to know your neighbors,” he said. “There is so much here for kids to do, for the whole family. It’s a fantastic atmosphere for a young family.”

     Wanting to become a U.S. citizen, Ryan said, it was about having a more permanent status.

     “It like it here; I love Iowa,” he said. “It fits my temperament.”

     Ryan explained that when someone comes from a different place, they tend to see things differently than those who have lived somewhere for a long time.

     “I did not plan to end up in small-town America,” he joked. “But I’m glad I did.”

     Ryan, who works for the Sixth Judicial District in the Department of Corrections, said the whole process to become a citizen was quite daunting.

     “I had a lot of anxiety about the whole thing,” he said.

     However, it was a fairly smooth process once he got started. The application process involves a background check, securing letters of support, a civics exam (like one might take in a high school government class), and an interview with a federal immigration agent.

     As a lover of American history, Ryan said the studying for and taking the exam was a piece of cake. “It was kind of fun,” he said.

     The interview, then, involved questions about his moral character.

     On July 24, Ryan, Lindsay and his father who flew in from Ireland, headed to Des Moines for the swearing-in ceremony. Ryan was one of 40 others representing 26 different countries around the world that day. He was the only one from Ireland. Those in attendance said the Pledge of Allegiance and sang the National Anthem. Then they received a certificate of nationalization.

     Following the ceremony, he took a picture holding up a stuffed bald eagle and waving a small American Flag.

     “It was really cool,” Ryan said of the swearing-in ceremony. “It was very formalized.”

     Throughout the 10-month process to become a citizen, Ryan said all worked out quite well.

     “With the change in bureaucracy at the federal level, a lot of people applied (for citizenship) the last couple of years,” he said. Ryan said it’s a choice he feels privileged to make.

     Ryan said having become a U.S. citizen, in a psychological way, it feels as if he’s lost his role back home in Ireland. However, he’s embraced life here in Iowa. “I can honor that loss by really appreciating life here,” he said. (He does hold duel citizenship in the U.S. and in Ireland. Ryan’s children can also hold duel citizenship as well.)

     Ryan said this commitment is not something to be taken lightly.

     In order to vote on Sept. 11, he has to register with the Social Security office and then apply for a voter registration card.

     “This is not a red and blue issue,” Ryan said of getting political. “We have the opportunity to make a real impact on local lives.”

     Ryan, whose wife works for the school district and whose oldest attends school here, is not shy about showing his support for the bond issue.

     “From a financial standpoint, it make the most sense,” he said. “Small towns have enough problems, education needs to become the magic bullet.”

     Ryan said good schools are important for the future of the students and the local work force.

     “When kids walk into a new building,” he said, “they’re more likely to become engaged. The early years (of life) are so important; we need to reach for the best.”

     As a home-owner, Ryan knows the cost of a new middle school, but said “it’s not an intrusive amount.”

     He praises the “Vote Yes” committee for conducting “an absolute brilliant campaign,” and thinks highly of Superintendent Dr. Brian Jaeger.

     “He’s so inspirational, and has given us a coherent message,” Ryan said of Jaeger’s online videos concerning the bond issue.

     Ryan said poor school facilities can be a drain on small towns with people moving to other towns for a top-notch education and school facilities.

     “With my wife, I see the human capacity as well,” he said. “With the efforts teachers make in our schools, they put so much work into their job. We need a new building to maximize that.”

 

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