This is the American Story I Believe In. This is @abubility and @Lbility

• What happened at the Constitutional Convention?
• How old do citizens have to be to vote in the U.S.?
• Who vetoes bills?
• What are two cabinet-level questions?
• What is the Name of the National Anthem?
• Name a writer of the Federalist Papers.
• What is the capital of the U.S.?
• Name the war between the North and South.
• Who lives in the U.S. before settlers arrived?
• Name a state that borders Mexico
• Name three Native American tribes in the U.S.
• Name the three branches of government.
• Name the two major political parties in the U.S.
• What are the first ten amendments called?
• What is freedom of religion?
• Who leads the executive branch?
• What ocean is on the east coast of the U.S.?
• How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
• What are the primary responsibilities of the States?
• What did Susan B. Anthony do?
• Who was the President during the Great Depression?

Yesterday, a historic moment occurred in the United States and I imagine that the majority of individuals across the nation missed it. They may have been watching America's Top Model, checking out ESPN for basketball schedules, or waiting for their value meals at some fast-food chain. The reality is, however, that while they were being American (in whatever way that word is defined), Abu and Lossine Bility were taking the examination that can be viewed as tremendous symbol for their lives, what the United States stands for, and how democracy is understood internationally. They took the Naturalization Test given by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to officially become members of our nation. They answered questions like those above. Can you?

And they passed. They are officially citizens of the United States.

As juniors at SUNY Brockport, Abu and Lossine have influenced multiple lives, including my own. I've been working with them since they were sophomores in 2008, still enrolled in advanced ESL classes, and confused by all the chaos of American society. Given their impish nature, they convinced my brother-in-law, Mike (whose coaching skills were always in question by them both), that we needed to take them to a Syracuse lacrosse game...which we did. One of the greatest events of that year.  Soon after, they convinced me to drive them to club soccer practices, to share books with them, and to, eventually, redirect my life mission through research at Syracuse University. 

I could narrate the stories they shared with me of surviving civil conflict in Liberia and the incredible strength, intelligence, and love of their mother who saw that they remained safe, studied in school, and followed the morals of their religion. I could write about the obstacles that occurred in an urban high school while they experienced deplorable conditions and had to high-five and collaborate with wonderful teachers to help them pass state examinations and earn a NYS diploma. I could describe their obsessive fascination with soccer, their total joy of everything in college, and the multiple dreams they share with me for their future. 

That, however, is not the purpose of this post. I simply want to write congratulations and to say, "I'm proud of them both."

I am a better man for knowing and learning the world with Abu and Lossine Bility. Ubuntu. They are remarkable human beings.