Benjamin and Grace of the ACE Family Honored to Take Part in Worcester Inauguration
Did you catch the inauguration for Worcester’s City Council and School Committee this week? You may have recognized two beloved faces from ACE, Benjamin and Grace, leading the audience in the pledge of allegiance!
“It was awesome,” recalled Benjamin, ACE’s Outreach Manager. “It was exciting to be there, and people were excited at the event.”
Benjamin and Grace, father and daughter, received the invitation to join the inauguration from the City Clerk and Councilor Sarai Rivera. Councilor Rivera and Grace previously worked together and remained in touch. Recently, Grace passed her naturalization test, sharing her excitement with her mentor Councilor Rivera and father Benjamin. When Councilor Rivera learned about Grace’s exciting updates, she invited Mayor Petty to come and meet Ben, Grace, and their family. After meeting them in-person, the Mayor sent a personalized video message to Ben and Grace, congratulating them on their family’s journey and successes, including but not limited to Grace’s naturalization, Ben’s daughters’ acceptances to college, Ben graduating with a master’s degree from Clark University, and Ben’s work as the Outreach Manager for ACE. The video was later shown at the inauguration.
“People were coming up to us and congratulating us,” said Ben. “It was wonderful.”
In addition to leading the pledge of allegiance, Ben and Grace took the opportunity to share more about their stories and their work at ACE.
Ben and Grace were both born in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Ben grew up in birth country and completed primary, secondary, and university studies before fleeing violence and persecution. Ben, with his wife and four children, ended up in Nairobi, Kenya in 2009.
Ben remembers “dream[ing] of coming to the U.S. to feel safe and find peace.” The family flew to the U.S. in 2014 and settled in Worcester, soon meeting ACE. After one year of partnering with ACE, Ben joined the staff in 2015. His personal experience resembles many of those who work with ACE. He saw an opportunity give back to his community and excels as the Outreach Manager.
Grace graduated from New Citizen’s Center in 2015 and transferred to University Park Campus School. She graduated in 2020 and is a well-known ACE alum, now pursuing her degree at Clark University.
Ben acquired citizenship in 2020. At the time, his daughter Helene was under 18 and received citizenship through Ben’s efforts and paternal relationship. Grace was over 18, meaning she pursued citizenship separately. In 2021, all while studying for her second year in college, Grace passed her U.S. Naturalization Test.
Ben says he loved the chance to tell more people about his family’s story. He also greatly enjoyed telling more people about his work at ACE, for he feels great pride and joy in the work ACE does.
Ben and Grace’s stories reflected a key aspect of the event: the inauguration highlighted the “most diverse school committee and city council in Worcester’s history” (MassLive).
“The introductory speaker talked about inclusivity in the City and the importance of community organizations like ACE,” noted Ben. “They reminded us that diversity is not enough.”
Organizations like ACE foster inclusivity by making sure their communities feel at home, feel represented, and feel that they have a clear opportunity to speak up.
