From Cuba to Kentucky, a U.S. Bank Employee Celebrates Her Citizenship

U.S. Bank Client Relationship Consultant Camila Asenjo Perez arrived in the U.S. from Cuba when she was 16 years old, along with her Mom and brother.

“It was very hard when I first arrived, especially because of the language barrier as I did not speak any English. I was in high school and had to take the same classes as everyone else,” Asenjo Perez recalled. “I had to work extra hard and try to learn English on my own as much as I could to be able to graduate. I was working part-time, too, and didn’t really have any one in my family who had the knowledge to help me. It just took my own efforts and the kindness of a friend.”

Asenjo Perez's family lived in Arizona when they first arrived, and several years later she relocated to Kentucky. There, she joined U.S. Bank earlier this year at the Hopkinsville branch, which is in the southwest part of the state and boasts a population of approximately 31,000. She said coming to America was always a dream and becoming a U.S. citizen was the end goal. Recently, she spent two months learning answers to 100 in-depth questions so she could take the citizenship exam.

“Everyone with the company has been very supportive and understanding of my goal and desire to become a U.S. citizen,” she said. “My branch manager even helped me study few times.”

“Camila has a drive to succeed that is refreshing to witness,” said Branch Manager Brent Polley. “As our newest team member, she has stepped right up when it comes to meeting goals and engaging with clients. We were all excited to hear she was applying for her citizenship and anxious to hear the results when she took her test. We were thrilled to have her as our newest member but now we super proud to call her compatriot.”

After her swearing-in ceremony, Asenjo Perez felt excited and said a few of the things she looks forward to doing as a U.S. citizen is voting and even paying taxes. Today, the citizenship dream is still alive for both of her parents who are waiting for the 15-year mark to take the test in Spanish.

Daily, she finds purpose serving people in the Hopkinsville community and especially making a difference to the Spanish-speaking U.S. Bank customers so she can serve them better.

“I got married last year, have a five-year-old at home and one on the way, so becoming a citizen recently is a wonderful addition to this exciting chapter of life. Since joining U.S. Bank, I have witnessed several occasions where it’s obvious the company cares about its employees. From the recent minimum wage increase to kindness my co-workers have shown me, I am happy to be here.”

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