Latisha Corea was born in the Virgin Islands, but because her parents weren’t full citizens she had to wait for 18 years to become a belonger — and then a few more years before she could be registered as a British citizen.
During a ceremony held at Government House on Thursday, Ms. Corea and other recipients of British citizenship certificates pledged their allegiance to the Queen.
Soon, the former H. Lavity Stoutt Community College student plans to take advantage of her new status by studying in the United Kingdom.
“Now, it will be easier for me to go to school in the UK and enjoy discounts and opportunities like others,” Ms. Corea said.
During the ceremony, Governor John Duncan congratulated the recipients.
“But the new freedoms you will now enjoy also come with new responsibilities: moral responsibilities rather than legal ones,” he said.
Being awarded the citizenship shows that the recipients have already demonstrated service and commitment to the community, the governor added.
“I hope as you exercise your new freedoms for travel and employment, you will never forget that you will be ambassadors for your home base, the British Virgin Islands, where all of you have put down roots, where your contribution to the development of this community has, I am sure, already been substantial,” he said.