With a wide smile on her face and tears in her eyes, Ronia Frelund, a chaplain at Winona Health, reacted to a huge gathering of her co-workers waiting to celebrate her American citizenship with her. After a six-year process that included interview after interview with her husband, friends and neighbors, along with a rigorous background review, Ronia was sworn in as a US citizen on Tuesday, January 14, 2020 at a ceremony in St. Paul. Afterwards, Ronia sent this message to her Winona Health co-workers… “You all blessed me. My heart is overwhelmed with gratitude. Thank you for sharing in my joy of becoming a United States citizen and rejoicing with me. You all welcomed me with the Great American Love, when I thought I didn’t have many family or friends to share in this celebration in person. You all gifted me with the greatest surprise of my life and showered me with love and the message that Winona Health cares. Thank you for providing me with the support and stability that my family and I needed throughout this journey. Knowingly or unknowingly, you are all a part of this accomplishment as much as I and my family are. I am so honored to be with caring leadership and colleagues. I am blessed by you all.” We are lucky to have you, Ronia!
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