Michael Panger

My maternal grandparents are of Croatian descent and paternal grandparents of Slovenian descent. They all immigrated to the United States and settled in the Pittsburgh Pennsylvania area. I never had the opportunity to meet any of them as the last grandparent died just one month after I was born. Growing up, my mother frequently used Croatian words to describe things around our house, especially food items. I was able to visit Croatia recently with three of my siblings and our immediate families. What a wonderful experience! As far as I knew, neither of my parents ever were able to visit their homelands due to turmoil in the region at a point when they could travel, so I was very pleased that I could experience the region and some of the culture. Given the opportunity to establish citizenship in the country, I feel that I would like to return at some point and stay for an extended period of time. I thoroughly enjoyed the country as we visited several cities along the coast, in addition to Zagreb, and would like to be able to immerse myself into the culture, possibly even work as an anesthesiologist.

I kindly request that you consider my application for citizenship. The impression that my mother gave of being proud of her heritage had always piqued my interest in Croatia and with being able to visit, has left an indelible mark on my desire to further experience the area and culture. I am hopeful that given the opportunity of citizenship, I can possibly purchase property and become a more permanent part of Croatian culture.

Sincerely,

Michael Panger