About 60 new citizens took the Oath of Allegiance and became United States citizens during a ceremony held at Clermont Northeastern High School on the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

The ceremony both honored the nearly 3,000 victims who died 24 years ago and celebrated the newly naturalized citizens.

Clermont Northeastern High School Principal Shane Hartley said the school makes announcements over the intercom system throughout the day to teach the students about tragic events that took place at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

The students filed into the school’s gymnasium to watch the naturalization ceremony. Hartley said the ceremony perfectly ties into the students’ education.

“Despite the hate that came against America that day, we still have people who want to be part of our country,” he said.

Chandra Manituangani, originally from Congo, was one of the new citizens who took her oath at the school. She said she is proud to be an American. Overall, the new citizens hailed from 32 different countries.

The ceremony was the last step of a journey that takes years to complete to become an American citizen. The candidates were lawful residents of the United States who passed required background checks, proven their good moral character, and passed English reading, writing, and speaking tests. They also passed a U.S. history and civics exam.

United States District Court Chief Magistrate Judge Stephanie K. Bowman presided over the ceremony. She honored the people who died during the Sept. 11 attacks by requesting a moment of silence.

She also congratulated the new citizens on their accomplishments.

Naturalization ceremonies often take place in a federal courtroom, but the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio hosts several naturalizations at community locations across southern Ohio to showcase an essential role of the Judiciary and connect with the community it serves.

Hartley encouraged other school districts to reach out to the Court for an opportunity to host a naturalization ceremony, adding that the logistics and planning for the event was minimal as the school collaborated with the Court.

Anyone interested in hosting an event can contact Public Information Officer Parker Perry at Parker_Perry@ohsd.uscourts.gov.