Editor’s note: The U.S. Coast Guard coordinates closely with its partners at the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). The Naturalization Program’s Military Outreach Team, embedded within a local USCIS field office, supports Coast Guard members through the application process. To learn more, please click here: Naturalization Through Military Service | USCIS
When Melissa Chaparro Santillan first came to the United States in 2000, she never could have imagined becoming a citizen while in a Coast Guard uniform.
Taking the Oath of Allegiance at the foot of the fabled statue of Signalman First Class Douglas Munro was “pretty special,” she told MyCG. So was the fact that her Commander at Training Center (TRACEN) Cape May had that day’s flag retired and gave it to her as a keepsake.
That flag is something the now Petty Officer Third Class will always cherish. It represents the support she received from the Coast Guard Naturalization Program and her shipmates as she balanced boot camp and studying for her citizenship exam.
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Chaparro Santillan immigrated to the United States when she was five years old. Hailing from Chihuahua, Mexico, she and her family settled in Denver, Co.
Growing up in a landlocked state meant little exposure to the Coast Guard. In middle school, Chaparro Santillan joined a Junior Cadet Corps (JCC) program after her family relocated to Ft. Worth, Tx. She continued in Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) after entering high school.
JROTC was an important part of Chaparro Santillan’s early life. Not only did it put a career in service on her radar, but it also introduced her to a lifelong mentor. Army First Sergeant (ret.) Dr. Terrence Campbell was one of Chaparro Santillan’s JROTC instructors. Now, he is “pretty much like another dad to me,” she said. Though she was initially unable to join the military, Campbell supported and encouraged her at every turn – and watched proudly as she received her college degree.
Chaparro Santillan eventually started a family business – a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) repair company – with her father. “I had a very good career,” she reflected. But her father didn’t want her to give up on pursuing a different career or going back to school in order to support their family.
Chaparro Santillan was drawn to the Coast Guard’s lifesaving mission, which “set [the Coast Guard] apart from any of the other services.” Despite her family’s initial apprehension, she joined the Coast Guard in July 2024.
Chaparro Santillan spent 11 months in basic training – as opposed to the usual eight weeks – due to medical issues. That meant she had to juggle maintaining her fitness, completing basic training and extensive naturalization paperwork, and passing her citizenship exam while navigating medical complications. The prospect of the exam alone, she said, was “nerve-wracking.”
Thankfully, Chaparro Santillan recalled fondly, her new shipmates supported and encouraged her. “When they say the Coast Guard is family, I really experienced that.”
While dealing with her medical issues, she was assigned to TRACEN Cape May’s Legal Branch and the Coast Guard Naturalization Program. Her new colleagues in the Legal Branch helped her navigate the citizenship process during a challenging time. And she found meaning and fulfillment as she saw the Naturalization Program from the inside.
Over a year later, Chaparro Santillan is still struck by the people she met in Cape May. Because she had been in and out of her training company four times due to medical issues, she had more company commanders (CCs) than the average recruit. When she finally received her medical clearance to resume training, her CCs and members of the TRACEN Medical Team gathered to congratulate and encourage her.
“I never would have made it through, and it wouldn’t have been possible if I didn’t have so much support,” she said.
That community has had impacts far beyond her experience in boot camp. Originally, Chaparro Santillan planned to become an Electrician’s Mate (EM), serve for four years, and retire and bring her newfound skills back to the HVAC industry in Texas. However, her time in the Legal Branch inspired her to change her rating to Yeoman (YN) in order to serve as a Legal Technician.
Now, she envisions a long career in the Coast Guard. A few weeks ago, she graduated from Yeoman A-School as the honor graduate, with her JROTC mentor proudly in attendance. With her sights set high, Chaparro Santillan plans to apply for the Coast Guard Enlisted Funded Legal Program, attend law school and become a Coast Guard Judge Advocate – allowing her to support her shipmates in the same way they have supported her.
In the meantime, Chaparro Santillan is thriving in her first tour out of A-School. The Legal Branch at Cape May – where she found renewed passion and purpose – is the perfect place to begin paying it forward. Chaparro Santillan is thrilled to help a new generation of Coasties following in her footsteps. “I’ve been through it,” she said. “I know how much it means.”
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