On her study abroad program in Northern Ireland, Acacia Diniz immediately began bonding with a certain classmate – Michael Wilke, the love of her life.
“We were both at our respective universities, me in Brazil, him at UC, and we were both doing our study abroad program at the same time in the same place,” Diniz said. “We had orientation together, we had museum visits and all sorts of things together, and that’s how I got to know him.”
The now-married couple moved to Cincinnati where they have lived for 13 years. Diniz got her citizenship through marriage on September 19, but has always been an active member of her community, especially within the WHHS library.
In 2015, Diniz joined the WHHS library staff. She displayed her commitment to the library particularly during the pandemic, during which time she helped librarian Margo Fisher-Bellman and former librarian Ellen Wathen create various online library platforms in weekly summer meetings.
“Ms. Diniz was so invested when she came to those meetings, and the reason that that’s different is because Ms. Wathen and I were salaried, meaning we were getting paid during this time… Ms. Diniz was not,” Fisher-Belman said. “She wanted to be a part of what was being created so she came to the meetings and she did the work.”
Diniz not only values her job as a librarian but as a mentor for students as well.
“Students tend to see us more as people; they pop into our stations and ask for opinions and help,” Diniz said. “Some students get really close where they come to me with all sorts of personal and school related questions, and then some keep me in the back of their minds [as someone who] is friendly to them.”
One student that Diniz has had a close relationship with is SENIOR Racky Barry.
“She’s really one of the few trusted adults that I have, and I really treasure that,” Barry said. “I’m always grateful that she’s interested [in] me.”
Barry admires Diniz for her character and was excited to hear of her citizenship.
“I remembered how my mom got her citizenship and how she was very excited for it, so I was really excited for [Ms. Diniz] and very proud of her when she got it,” Barry said. “I just felt like the whole world needs to know and she should be congratulated and hugged and loved in that moment, because she deserves it.”
Librarian Melody Riggs also thinks that Diniz is deserving of the privileges of citizenship.
“She cares deeply about the things that are going on in our country,” Riggs said. “Being able to be a free citizen and vote, and able to take more civic action is really important to her, so I’m really proud of her [for] taking that step.”
Diniz is looking forward to exercising her new rights as an American citizen.
“I don’t particularly subscribe to nationalistic ideas… I’m not a very patriotic person, but I do appreciate the civic rights that we get to exercise,” Diniz said. “I’ve always been engaged in politics and I’ve always thought that that’s an important thing and [an] important way to have your voice heard.”
Diniz has enjoyed hearing and sharing citizenship experiences with students.
“So many people have just come in and told me stories of their experiences or their parents’ experience [of] getting their citizenship, and that was really nice,” Diniz said. “Being able to share that with the students, which most of the teachers can’t, [is] a special thing, it’s a special bond.”
This story was originally published on The Chatterbox on October 17, 2023.
