From sponsor to Citizen Guide, continuing the journey of welcome
Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Rotary International reached out to Rotary clubs around the world with a call to help. This is how Heather Stoa, 2021-22 District 6490 Governor and member of the Rotary Club of Decatur, IL for 28 years, discovered Uniting for Ukraine (U4U), the opportunity to sponsor Ukrainian newcomers through humanitarian parole—and today she’s further committed to supporting newcomers as a volunteer Citizen Guide.
Moving frequently with her family from a young age, Heather understood what it took to connect with people from communities and cultures different from her own. Her natural curiosity and ability to bond with people quickly—despite different backgrounds—informed much of her work and service, especially as a Rotary member.
After learning about Welcome.US and its mission to empower Americans to directly participate in welcoming newcomers, Heather was inspired to engage her Rotary club in Illinois. In June 2023, she presented the idea of sponsorship—explaining what U4U was, how Welcome.US could provide support, and gauging the general interest of club members.
By February 2024, her club had sponsored two Ukrainian families and raised over $15,000 to support them. While one of those families is no longer in the U.S., the other—a mother and son duo—still live locally.
The son’s re-parole ends in February 2028. His high school is supporting him in graduating early in December 2027 so that he can receive his diploma.
“He's got so much promise,” Heather said. “I'd like to see him be able to enroll in college and just keep going. But we have no idea whether his parole will be extended.”
For Heather, becoming a sponsor and supporting Ukrainians was an easy decision, “I have no regrets.”
Now retired, Heather fills her free time by working for causes she cares about. She actively participates in the Welcome.US Ukraine affinity group, and is engaged with her representatives in support of legislation that would allow Ukrainians to stay in the U.S. Between political advocacy and leading community conversations, she is always seeking out ways to stay civically engaged.
Still, witnessing firsthand the uncertainty of maintaining legal humanitarian parole status, and wondering whether those she welcomed will be forced to return to Ukraine or find another home, weighs heavily on Heather.
Having already connected with Welcome.US, Heather jumped at the opportunity to volunteer in the Citizen Guide program. This new initiative pairs tutors with aspiring American citizens as they navigate the final steps of the citizenship journey.
For Heather, the transition felt natural, “One of our primary purposes as Rotarians is to promote peace and international understanding and goodwill. How better to align with what we believe than working with programs like this?”
I feel like it’s a responsibility, as an individual and as a citizen, to give back and to welcome people from around the world.
Through the virtual program, Heather was paired with Szymon, an aspiring American living in North Carolina.
Szymon grew up in Poland in a small town called Wodzisław Śląski, near the border with the Czech Republic. He moved to Kraków for college, where he learned about a work travel program in the U.S. for cultural exchange.
In his last year of school, Szymon applied and was able to spend some time in the U.S. while he worked.
“I had a great opinion of America and America’s culture… I always had a curiosity about this country, and that sounded like a great opportunity,” he shared.
He applied for a work opportunity that would put him in proximity with the U.S. National Parks because of his interest in nature and wanting to see America’s beauty. At first, he planned to work in Yellowstone National Park, but someone who had participated in this program suggested he apply for another location. He landed at Glacier National Park in Montana, where he began working at a lodge in St. Mary.
This happenstance conversation that swayed Szymon away from Yellowstone National Park played a major role in altering his future. While working at Glacier, he met his future wife, Ashley, and his world changed forever. By the end of the summer, they decided to try a long-distance relationship: Ashley finishing school in California and Szymon back in Poland.
After finishing graduate school, Ashley moved to Poland for a period of time, but the couple eventually decided they wanted to move back to the U.S. permanently, where they were married shortly after their move. Despite Ashley’s citizenship and their marriage, the citizenship process for Szymon wasn’t as simple as expected.
“Our journey was a lot of paperwork, very long documentation… If there’s one mistake, the whole process might be completely canceled,” Szymon shared.
Szymon was able to get his green card, allowing him to live and work in the U.S. permanently, but he knew that the path to citizenship was something he needed to pursue.
As I live here, I see my future more here. Becoming more attached through friends, through family, and through work. I feel like there’s a certain responsibility that becoming a citizen is, and I feel like that’s something I look forward to.
Now, as he prepares for the citizenship exam, Szymon is working with Heather as his Citizen Guide. When going into their first session, Heather reflected on a concern she had, anticipating a language barrier. Instead, she was met with Szymon’s strong English fluency and curiosity about America.
Beyond English practice and studying for the civics exam, Szymon has developed a fascination with U.S. government and history, thanks to Heather’s interest in these topics and her lived experience as someone who prioritizes civic engagement.
Even though they connect virtually, the pair has formed a friendship through their tutoring sessions. They swap stories about living in North Carolina, where Szymon and Ashley currently live and where Heather once lived with her husband, both agreeing it produces some of the best barbecue in the country. They’ve talked about idioms unique to eastern North Carolina like, "I will come by at 7:00 to carry you to the movies”, meaning, “I will give you a ride”.
“Thanks to this program, I try to reach for even more information, so I’m not just a person passing the exam, but I have actual knowledge of how the U.S. government and deeper historical culture comes from,” Szymon said. “I feel much more inspired by interacting with [Heather] to learn more and not only answer, but understand the background of the test.”
For Heather, becoming a Citizen Guide has shown her the true dedication it takes to become a U.S. citizen: “It definitely taught me that most of us could not pass the citizenship test.”
As Szymon awaits his official exam date, both he and Heather are continuing their tutoring sessions, looking forward to the day that Szymon passes and recites the Oath of Allegiance.
Heather and Szymon’s story shows the power of human connection between total strangers. As Heather shared, “I think that if you can introduce people to one another, that once you put a person eye to eye, face to face, those differences recede.”
Across the country, nearly 9 million green card holders are currently eligible to begin the naturalization process. For many, the simple acts of support and words of encouragement from a volunteer Citizen Guide is all it takes to complete the journey to citizenship.
You can make a difference.
More stories of welcome
