This episode features Alice Warren who is a retired middle school social studies and history teacher. In her retirement she finds herself very busy with a variety of community projects but she is deeply committed to helping immigrants and refugees with the citizenship and naturalization process.

It started in 1998 when she assisted a school custodian with his preparation for the civics test. He passed - and she was hooked - thus adapting her curriculum to include giving the citizenship test to all of her students.

In her current role, she works to empower adult learners in weekly classes with information about U.S. history, critical thinking about the constitution and various areas of the test, as well as extensive preparation for the oral interview with USCIS.

She has fostered community partnerships with agencies who provide legal services to eligible green card holders and personally assists students with the various application components. Throughout her citizenship course she reminds students of the comprehensive documents that are mandatory to certify their work and immigration status, including tax returns, pay stubs, and marriage certificates. She personally drives many students to legal appointments and always celebrates when someone achieves naturalization. She is a true mentor handling each case with deep care, immense support, and confidentiality.

She shares recent changes in the naturalization process including a long list of countries where immigrants and refugees now face enormous obstacles and delays when applying for citizenship. Additionally, she shares the frustration over the prolonged wait times for appointments and the difficulty in gaining general information with the many changes in USCIS policies.