Valentyna Matthews, who moved to the U.S from Ukraine in 2018 to marry a man from Hillsboro, obtained her U.S. citizenship during a ceremony at the Potter Steward United States Courthouse in Cincinnati on Friday, Aug. 9.

Matthews divorced and had to wait five years to apply for her U.S. citizenship.

She said the test she had to pass to obtain her citizenship was challenging.

“It’s a lot of questions – writing and reading questions, history, geography, politics, government, and how the government works in the United States,” she said.

Matthews said she studied for about a year for the test.

“It was many new words I had not heard before,” she said.

She said she spoke some English before moving to the U.S.

“I tried to learn because I got my first job at the YMCA,” she said. “People from the YMCA, they helped me a lot, and I am so grateful for them. They are the best people that I ever met.”

Matthews, who works in the housekeeping department of Highland District Hospital, said her friends from the YMCA in Hillsboro also helped her when she was sick.

“They brought me medicine and found a doctor,” she said.

She said she went through a difficult time during her divorce.

“My divorce – it was domestic violence – and I was so scared because I’m an immigrant,” she said. “I love the United States because the law protects women. It so surprised me, and I’m so grateful for everybody who helped me in that situation.”

The friends she met in Hillsboro taught her how to drive.

“I’m so happy that I met very kind, very nice people in Hillsboro,” she said. “I love them, and I even did not expect that.”

Matthews said she plans to visit her two sons in Ukraine in the future but has decided to live in Hillsboro.

“In this country, if you are not lazy – if you work – you will have everything,” she said. “When my husband divorced me, I had zero money – nothing – no job, no money, nothing. Now, I have my house, my job, my car. I have everything in this country.

Matthews said she worries about her sons in Ukraine.

“My sons, they don’t want to live here,” she said. “I visited them last year, and I told them next year I will go again, but it’s so far – it’s two days for only one way.”

Reach John Hackley at 937-402-2571.