Photo by Bill Green More than a dozen people turned out Wednesday at St. John’s Catholic Church Community Center for an orientation session for citizenship classes. The eight classes are designed to help students gain U.S. citizenship. The sessions are being sponsored by Centro Hispano. From left are Jeanie Cronin, president of Centro Hispano; Pat Hanberry and Gerry Hanberry, teachers of the classes; and Jim Chung, an AmeriCorps volunteer who provided citizenship information at the session.
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Lopez, 39, was among 16 people who turned out Wednesday at St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church Community Center in Frederick for an orientation session for citizenship classes.

The series of eight classes is designed to help permanent residents gain citizenship. The sessions are sponsored by Centro Hispano and other volunteers, and will take place most Wednesdays until after the holidays at the church's community center.

Lopez, who is from El Salvador, has lived in Frederick for about seven years.

Though he could learn how to apply for citizenship and study for the tests online, he said attending classes, practicing his English with others and meeting new people seemed a better option.

Other advantages of citizenship include being able to travel to his home country for extended periods of time and being able to bring his mother to visit him. In 20 years, she has never received a visa to travel to the United States, he said.

Pat Hanberry and her husband, Gerry, have volunteered to instruct the students in English.

Pat Hanberry's day job is as chief executive officer of the Mental Health Association of Frederick County.

She and her husband have traveled to Central America on several occasions to help build houses. Hanberry said she has also studied some of the emotional and social issues that many immigrants to the United States bring with them.

She said the classes will provide a good opportunity to help people in a one-on-one situation.

"It's something that's really useful to them, and we'll be able to see the results," she said.

Instruction efforts will include help in filling out the $675 application, known as an N-400, and lessons in civics and American history, Hanberry said.

"It's going to be a good refresher for us, we have to study before we do it," she said.

One member of the class mentioned that a lawyer had asked for $3,000 per person to fill out the citizenship application. But volunteers suggested a lawyer was not needed if the steps are followed carefully.

"This is so exciting for us," said Jeanie Cronin, president of Centro Hispano de Frederick .

"I know with U.S. citizenship, they'll be able to do so much more in the community," she said.

Marianna Erickson was born in British Columbia, Canada, and has lived in the United States for 50 years.

She said she has applied several times in the past, but her children, as well as a friend, encouraged her to apply again for citizenship.

She said she is looking forward to voting in elections. "I really missed the last time."