Niurka Olivera de Ojeda receives FLA’s Outstanding Paraprofessional 2022 Award

South Trail Branch Clerk Niurka Olivera de Ojeda meaningfully improves the lives of the numerous students that take her Citizenship Inspired (CI) classes. Pivoting to a virtual format in 2020, Niurka provides free classes that help local immigrant residents prepare for the Naturalization Interview and Test. Through her herculean efforts, she has taught CI over 160 times to over 3000 students and conducted 67 one-on-one mock interviews. At least 74 students have passed under her tutelage. Niurka’s passion for citizenship education extends beyond the classroom. She promotes CI through various media, provides guidance and assistance to other CI instructors, and has spoken at a regional library conference about the program to offer guidance about starting the series for libraries outside of Orange County.