My Aunt's Citizenship Experience

My name is Jessica T. Lopez-Otalvaro and as an American citizen I consider myself blessed and privileged to have been born and raised in this great country. Some will never have the opportunity to enjoy the chance, others take different paths in life that lead them to land of opportunity through immigration.  My husband German is one of those fortunate people.  He was born and raised in Colombia and went to Spain to do his Master's in biotechnology. I also found myself studying abroad during college and we met at the University of Salamanca. As they say the rest is history, but certainly has not been easy. After a lengthy and very expensive year long process involving, sponsorship from a current citizen, revaccination just as a newborn baby because he was unable to locate his vaccination records from Colombia and interviews in the American Embassy in Madrid he finally made it here. What seemed like the hard part was only the beginning. He dedicated his first year to study English with the hopes of maybe being able to work in his field; however, found it entirely too difficult to reach the proficiency necessary to work in his area of studies. So after a year we sat down and discussed what he would do here in the United States. He told me he wanted to be his own boss, make his own hours and said he thought the owners of the landscaping companies must do well; after all there is always grass to be cut.  So we purchased a pick-up truck, a small lawn mower and weeder from Home Depot and began the journey.  Twelve years later he has never looked back.  By the grace of God and the opportunities this country has to offer, my immigrant husband who spoke very limited English began his own landscaping company.  Botanic Dreams Landscaping LLC now has 80+ regular clients, plus projects, multiple employees, two trucks and two trailers and does business in Morris, Middlesex, Monmouth and Union Counties in New Jersey.  We also have been graced with three beautiful small children who keep us busy and my full-time teaching career as a high school Spanish teacher.  While life with an immigrant has had its challenges, watching my husband overcome them one day at a time and harness ever opportunity this amazing country has to offer has been truly inspiring. I consider myself incredibly blessed and cannot wait to see what the next phase of our life together will bring.