Olga Mikhailovna Bobko grew up in Missoula. She attended public school there, completed a semester at the University of Montana and has spent the last three years working as an assistant at a law office.
If you run into Bobko and speak with her for a few moments, you’d be forgiven for assuming she’s a native Montanan. But in fact, until last week, she wasn’t even an American citizen, despite having spent 21 of her 22 years in Montana.
Bobko was born in the Eastern European country of Belarus, which was a republic of the Soviet Union until 1990. A few months after she was born, her aunt moved to the United States, and soon after Bobko’s family followed. They settled in Missoula’s Russian community and started a new life, while staying true to their heritage. The family spoke Russian at home and, for the most part, maintained the same lifestyle as back in Belarus. While the carryover culture of Missoula’s Russian community was comforting, it was also insulating.
“Even though I grew up here, I never really felt American,” she said. “I’m 22 years old and some American culture is still odd to me.”
Although putting down roots in the United States, Bobko, her parents and her brother never became official U.S. citizens. But even though she had status as a permanent resident, Bobko began wondering whether she was missing out — she couldn’t vote, she often had trouble explaining her residency status when applying for jobs and she occasionally worried that if foreign relations changed, she could be sent back to a place she’s never really known. She also said it’s complicated to travel overseas with a green card, and she wanted to visit family members in Europe whom she’s never met. Although she’s spoken to her grandparents via Skype, she’s never seen them in person.
Earlier this year, Bobko began the process of becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen. She submitted her application and spent hours studying history; she passed the exam with flying colors. When it came time for her to select where to take her oath, the final step to becoming a naturalized citizen, she jumped at the chance to do it in Glacier National Park.
“This is already a special ceremony for me, so I figured it should be in a special place, too,” she said.
Bobko said she’s proud of her heritage and wants to preserve it to hand down to her children. But she also said being a naturalized citizen will open new doors and expand her opportunities.
“I don’t know if most people realize all of the opportunities they get as an American citizen,” she said. “I think a lot of people might take it for granted.”