News Release
NPS photo by Erin Gilliland
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Contact: Great Smoky Mountains National Park
GATLINBURG, Tenn. — On July 1, Great Smoky Mountains National Park hosted a naturalization ceremony in partnership with the United States District Court of Eastern Tennessee and the Nashville Field Office of the Department of Homeland Security.
“As we celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary, it was an honor to welcome America’s newest citizens here in Great Smoky Mountains National Park,” said Superintendent Charles Sellars. “We are grateful to have played a small role in their path to citizenship.”
A naturalization ceremony is the final step to becoming a citizen of the United States. The park invited guests of the new citizens to watch at Elkmont Campground as these individuals took their Oaths of Allegiance and received their Certificates of Naturalization. Thirty individuals became citizens of the United States through the ceremony.
The new citizens represented 17 countries, including Russia, the Dominican Republic, Brazil and many more.
During the ceremony, Great Smoky Mountains National Park Ranger Agnes Rehr-Zimmerman spoke about her own journey to citizenship. Rehr-Zimmerman became a U.S. citizen with the goal of becoming a park ranger.
The park was honored to host this event to celebrate the final step to citizenship for these individuals. The naturalization ceremony was days before America’s 250th anniversary. As the Smokies celebrate 250 years of American history, the park also celebrates the country’s newest citizens and the journey they have taken towards naturalization.
Last updated: July 2, 2026