\nFollowing advice from the Department of Home Affairs permitting group ceremonies to be held virtually, and due to statewide stay-at-home orders, City of Newcastle pivoted its plans for a face-to-face citizenship ceremony to allow our newest citizens to take the pledge online.
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![\"IMG_0063.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/newcastle.nsw.gov.au\/getattachment\/Council\/News\/Latest-News\/Newcastle-welcomes-150-new-citizens-online-in-City\/IMG_0063.jpg\" "\\"IMG_0063.jpg\\"")
\nLord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes and Deputy Lord Mayor Declan Clausen presided over two ceremonies each via Zoom, meeting people from all cultural backgrounds and walks of life.
\nAmong them was Newcastle resident Dana Fischetti who moved here eight years ago from the United States of America with her husband John as a career and lifestyle choice.
\nProfessor Fischetti, an esteemed Pro Vice-Chancellor at the University of Newcastle, received his Australian citizenship online last year, and on Wednesday Mrs Fischetti joined him as a proud dual citizen.
\nThe pair have been separated from their children, Justin and Katie, and their extended family and friends in North Carolina since COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic in March 2020. Their granddaughter Eva, now two years old, wasn\u2019t yet walking or talking.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s incredibly hard being separated from family during the pandemic; pre-COVID we\u2019d see them three or four times a year, so this is the longest time we\u2019ve spent apart and FaceTime isn\u2019t the same for those important milestones,\u201d Mrs Fischetti said.
\n\u201cThat said, we\u2019re extremely grateful for the opportunity to become Australian citizens. We cherish our Australian friends and the opportunities this amazing country has provided for us. We love our life in Newcastle and have witnessed so much positive change in the city since we moved here in 2013. We\u2019re also proud to be part of such a culturally diverse community.
\n\u201cAt some point in the future, we look forward to being able to co-live in the US and Australia, so that we can spend more time with our family but also enjoy this place we have come to call home.\u201d
\nLord Mayor Cr Nelmes congratulated the City\u2019s newest citizens on what was one of the most memorable occasions for many.
\n\u201cWhilst COVID-19 restrictions prevented us from celebrating in person, through the wonder of technology I am proud to have connected with so many smiling faces today and to have taken the time to welcome and celebrate each and every one of them; our community is all the richer for it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"