For years, Scott Campbell, a special education teacher in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), silently mouthed the words as the Pledge of Allegiance was recited each morning.
Though he heard it daily, he never felt comfortable saying the Pledge out loud, because he wasn’t a U.S. citizen. Late last year, that all changed when Campbell, along with his wife Roxanne, completed their oath ceremony and were officially naturalized.
At the ceremony, Campbell said the Pledge for the first time.
“It was emotional, I think I teared up a little bit,” Campbell said about reciting the Pledge for the first time. “Now, I am an American. Before, it was just words. I felt like there was no meaning behind it. Now there’s a meaning, because I do Pledge Allegiance to the flag. It was just a huge difference from not being American to now saying it and being American. It was just a totally different feeling.”
Leaving Montreal
The Campbells first came to the United States from Canada in 1993 after Scott accepted a job with CMS.
Scott and Roxanne, who were just recently married, had only weeks to pack up, make the 15+ hour drive from Montreal to Charlotte, find a place to live, and start their new lives. More than 30 years later, Scott and Roxanne still remember the trip vividly, recalling many of the stops they made along the way to their new city.
“We were just waiting,” Campbell said. “And then all of a sudden, we got paperwork from FedEx, and everything was done. We didn’t have furniture. We didn’t have anything, really. We got down to Charlotte on a Thursday or Friday, and then I started working on that Monday.”
Building a life, and a home, in Charlotte
When they first arrived, Roxanne, a native French speaker, was not fluent in English. She said learning was a rewarding challenge.
“People were not judging me. That was one thing that I really appreciated,” she said. “And of course, you know, I learned English and all that. But initially, I felt a little bit like a fish out of water. I learned English through carrying around a book in my pocket. I learned by going to the gym all the time, by the pool, by ordering at McDonalds. I was having fun, if that makes sense.”
For more than 30 years now, Scott has taught special education at different schools in CMS across grade levels, helping to shape the lives of students in ways that extend far beyond the classroom while leaving a lasting mark on the community. For about five years, Roxanne also was a teaching assistant with CMS, and for the last 15-plus years, she has worked as a Senior Research Analyst. Along the way, they have had two children.
Scott and Roxanne both said they were not originally planning to become American citizens when they moved to the U.S., but that their whole life is here now.
“It’s weird to think about, but all of our roots are in Charlotte,” Scott said. “I’m much more connected here than I would be up there in Canada now. We’ve been here so long, and other than the few family members we have, there’s not really any connection to Canada.”
From green cards to citizenship
Scott and Roxanne both said they truly appreciated the help they received from Garfinkel Immigration Law Firm throughout their immigration journey and the citizenship process.
“Everyone we worked with was so calming,” Scott said. “I think that took a big weight off of our shoulders. We were really nervous, and then there ended up being no reason to really be nervous at all. We were preparing for the worst and then had the best-case scenario.”
Working with Garfinkel Immigration Senior Counsel Catherine Magennis and the rest of the Firm gave Scott and Roxanne a sense of confidence, not just in the process, but in their decision to make the U.S. their permanent home. The Campbells’ experience left a strong impression on their legal team, as well.
“People like Scott and Roxanne are exactly why we do this work,” Magennis said. “Our firm has had the privilege to support a special education teacher whose calling was to help children with special needs thrive. His success as an educator, a parent, and a community member reflects the profound impact immigrants have when given the chance to contribute their skills and their hearts to this country.”
Scott added he may have looked into beginning the citizenship process earlier after working with the Firm.
“We really hadn’t thought about citizenship until after our second green card renewal and we had our kids,” Scott said. “Because I thought it would not be this easy to go through that whole process. We’ve been in the U.S. longer now than we were in Canada. This really is home.”
Both Scott and Roxanne encouraged anyone considering applying for citizenship to meet with an attorney.
“Think about getting a lawyer to make sure everything is done properly,” Scott said. “At Garfinkel, if we had any questions at all, we felt free to ask. I think that eased our mind more than anything else, knowing that there won’t be anything that we missed. Someone else was there to check it.”