Photos: Iranian Woman from Cedar Falls Celebrates Birthday By Becoming American Citizen

They came from Bosnia, Mexico, Canada, China, Pakistan, India, and beyond. They made lives in America. On Tuesday, they swore their loyalty to the United States and became citizens.

“It was a dream for me,” Leila Rod-Welch, who was born in Iran and now lives in Cedar Falls, said after the ceremony. “I dreamed of coming to America since I was a little girl.”

She clutched congratulatory balloons, flowers and the American flag given to each new citizen. It was her 34th birthday.

Sixty-one new Americans, hailing from 26 countries and living in towns across Iowa, took the naturalization oath at a ceremony on the campus. They waved small flags, placed their hands over their hearts for the Pledge of Allegiance, watched a message from President Obama and hugged friends and family.

“As a federal judge, this is one of my favorite things to do,” Judge Jon S. Scoles, who presided over the ceremony, told the assembled crowd.

The new citizens walked out of the Maucker Union ballroom no longer foreigners, but Americans, possessing all the rights and responsibilities that go with that designation.