On Wednesday, new U.S. citizens representing ethnicities from across the world gathered with students in Northeast High School to celebrate America's diversity. 

People of all ages, from parents holding young children to adults leading older adults, walked across the school's stage to receive a certificate of citizenship that formally recognizes their right to vote, to hold public office and to fully participate in the democratic processes in the United States. 

The 100 candidates came from 47 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East as well as several  countries in the Americas, including Canada, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica and Venezuela.

A teacher and student from Northeast High School were among the 100 candidates to become citizens. The ceremony included a reading from a graduating senior who shared his own experiences emigrating from Albania and navigating citizenship with his family 10 years ago. Other students shared their heritage through dance performances inspired by Indian and South Korean cultures. 

Among Philadelphia public schools, Northeast High School is one of the most diverse, with no majority ethnicity. The student body is 33 percent African American, 22 percent Asian, 21 percent white and 19 percent Latino.