Daisy in the News

Daisy's school was recently in the news recognizing how the students helped a custodian at the school prepare for her citizenship exam. The kids collected money, helped her study, and even helped with her work so she would have more time to prepare. Salem was actually involved in starting this project when he was student body president at Edith Bowen a couple years ago.

Daisy was interviewed by 2 news stations. The day before the ceremony, channel 4 came up to Logan and interviewed Daisy and 2 other students. The story was featured on the 6:00 news that night and on the morning news the next day.



The news crews also showed up the day of the ceremony. The kids traveled to SLC to attend the ceremony and support Vilma. Daisy was interviewed by channel 5 after the ceremony and her comments appeared on the 10:00 news that night (and ran again the next morning).



In Salt Lake Daisy was also interviewed by a reporter from the Herald Journal (Logan Newspaper). When she told the reporter her name, he looked at her and asked if her brother (Salem) had done well in the spelling bee. The same reporter also wrote a story about Jeff and his Toshiba project last spring. He told her, "wow, you're family is in the news a lot."



Channel 4 Story:
LOGAN, Utah (ABC 4 News)- A Logan custodian is realizing the American Dream after 20 long years. And in true American Spirit, it is the students she serves who have helped in her quest for U.S. Citizenship.

Wednesday, Vilma Valle will become a U.S. Citizen. “Oh yes. I wait for 20 years!” exclaims Valle.

She left El Salvador and her children, in order to give them a better life. “I no see them for 12 years. Oh yeah so very very hard,” Valle says.

But the students at Edith Bowen Laboratory School in Logan have helped fill that void. Valle says, “I feel they love me.”

“I think she's really awesome,” smiles Stuart Hopkins a 5th grade student.

Another 5th grade student, Daisy Karen adds, “She's really nice and always helping us.”

And that's why these kids wanted to return the favor. For two years they have been collecting quarters to raise money for Vilma's citizenship test. They've written letters to immigration, they have chipped in with Vilma's custodial chores so she could study and have even quizzed her.

“Everyone every day asking me a question,” recalls Valle.

That hard work has paid off. “I passed my test. I am ready for ceremony,” says Valle.

“She is the most wonderful, warm, loving person that you would want to meet. She doesn't take anything for granted. She's absolutely thrilled that the students are helping her,” says Joan Kyriopoulos, a 5th grade teacher.

Tuesday the students are all making posters to show their support not just for Vilma but for all of America's newest citizens.

Wednesday, with posters in hand, they will take a special field trip.

“She is going to be sworn in as a U.S. Citizen and we're all going to go down there and tour the State Capitol and watch her and it's going to be exciting,” explains Student Body President, Savannah Knight.

Karen adds, “I'm going to feel happy and it's going to make me feel good because she's worked so hard.”

Vilma has made a lot of sacrifices to live and work in America. In fact, she couldn't even attend her father's funeral. He died in March, her green card arrived a month later.

Wednesday, watch Vilma's Citizenship Ceremony and her reaction on ABC 4 News.

KSL Story:

Students help woman get US citizenship

September 10th, 2008 @ 9:14pm

By Randall Jeppesen and Courtney Orton

More than 1,500 immigrants living in Utah became U.S. citizens today. One of the new citizens, Vilma Valle, is a Logan Elementary school custodian, and she's thanking fifth graders for helping her American dream come true.

"When I see all the children, oh, I am very happy. I am very excited," Valle said.

Fifth grader Michael Harris said, "It's really exciting. She's been waiting for 20 years."

Valle came to America for a better life. For two years, students at Edith Bowen Laboratory School in Logan worked to help Vilma get her citizenship.

Fifth grader Jennifer Ban said, "We helped her pay for her test."

They even helped her study for it, sometimes taking over her chores at school so she could study. The students didn't get to go inside to see Valle or anyone else take the Oath of Citizenship, but they were outside cheering everyone on.

It's a moment the fifth graders won't soon forget. Fifth grader Daisy Karren said, "It's a really important moment for her, and I'm glad we got to be here." And it's a day Valle will always remember.

More than 90 countries were represented in today's ceremony. It was the largest Naturalization Ceremony ever in the state.

E-mail: corton@ksl.com

E-mail: rjeppesen@ksl.com