Prince Ogidikpe spent several years applying to become a U.S. citizen, and was let down multiple times.
The 19-year-old is a senior at California State University, San Bernardino where he is majoring in biology and pre-med.
He came to America from Nigeria when he was 12, and graduated from high school when he was only 14.
Ogidikpe had submitted paperwork for his citizenship over and over again, only to have it sent back due to a typo or for submitting too much paperwork.
"At that point I wasn't ever thinking about it anymore," Ogidikpe told NBC News. "And then came Christmas day."
His mother, who is an American citizen, is known for her Christmas Day gag gifts. She bought Ogidikpe a car light switch last Christmas, he said.
This year, his mother had been feeling down about not having the money to buy lots of Christmas gifts when she discovered a letter and instantly knew she would not have to shop to give her son his Christmas wish.
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"I felt the box and I was like it's kind of heavy," Ogidikpe told NBC News. "The box was for a diet plan and there was an opened piece of mail in it, so I took it out and read it. It was a letter confirming my citizenship."
Once the news sunk in, he said he could not contain his joy.
"I was short of words," he told NBC News. "I had so much going through my head at that time. I had been learning about America since I was in Nigeria. It all resonated a lot with me. This is a country where your dreams can come true. It's amazing."
Ogidikpe's bid for citizenship was made even more special because he was made a citizen before President Obama leaves office.
"That's one of my heroes, I look up to him so much," he told NBC News. "I'm a black man in America and he's a black man in this country. He was made president when I was still in Nigeria and it made me feel like I could do anything."
Ogidikpe had a small piece of advice for those on the path to citizenship: "Just keep trying and have hope and believe that it will happen and it will happen."
