As a child in Siauliai, Lithuania, Jefferson College teacher and coach Aida Steiger said she longed to travel to the United States, which she and others in Europe considered “a dream country.”
Not only did Steiger realize her goal of visiting the U.S., but also she ended up moving here to play volleyball at Jefferson College before getting a job at the school, where she is the head volleyball coach and teaches in the health and physical education department.
Earlier this year, Steiger, whose maiden name was Antanaviciute, accomplished another goal, becoming a U.S. citizen.
Steiger, 39, came to Jefferson College more than 20 years ago as a student and volleyball player.
“(Retired Jefferson College volleyball coach) Jo Ellen Stringer had two players from Lithuania who were older than me, Roberta and Giedre Tarnauskaite,” Steiger said. “I knew them from the Lithuanian national team. Their coach was the national team coach. The national coach asked me if I’d be interested in coming to America. Of course, I was.”
Steiger said her quest to join the Jefferson College team got off to a rocky start, though, because of her difficulty with the English language.
“After talking to (the Tarnauskaite sisters), I took an English proficiency test, which I did not pass,” she said. “So, Jefferson College brought me here on provisionary status to see how I would do with my English.”
Steiger said mastering the language was a struggle, but Stringer, along with others, helped her.
“I think just being around my teammates and going to classes helped me get a better understanding of English,” Steiger said. “It wasn’t easy. At Jefferson College, Jo Ellen and my teammates were my tutors.”
Stringer said she was glad to help.
“I don’t know that tutor is the right word, but we tried to make her feel comfortable,” she said.
Steiger’s English improved, and she earned college degrees.
“I came to Jefferson College in 2002, played for Jeffco for two years and transferred to St. Louis University, where I also played volleyball,” she said. “I felt like it was a big accomplishment for me to graduate from St. Louis University.”
Steiger earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from St. Louis University and later a master’s degree in sports management from Missouri Baptist University.
After getting her bachelor’s degree, Steiger joined Stringer’s staff as an assistant volleyball coach at Jefferson College, eventually succeeding Stringer as the team’s head coach in 2007.
Steiger married her husband, Ben, in 2009. The couple lives in Washington, Mo., with their three children – son Kolby, 13, and daughters Kelly, 9, and Mikah, 21 months.
Even after Steiger had married a U.S. citizen, she did not automatically become a citizen of the country.
“After Ben and I got married, I became a permanent residency holder,” Steiger said. “The first three years are kind of probationary to make sure your marriage is not fake. After that, I got tenure in this country. But, my residency was expiring in January, so (before that) in spring 2022, I applied for American citizenship.
“After about eight months, I got contacted. I had to wait for the government to review my case – immigration. (In the) interview, they assess your speaking skills. There’s a government and history test.”
Steiger said she did well on the exams.
“They give you 100 questions to help you prepare,” she said. “A lot of it, I already knew. I did not think the test was that difficult. It was an oral test. In the end, they give you a question you have to write out. That was really pretty easy because I’ve been living in the United States so long. They told me right away I’d passed. It became official in March.”
Steiger said even though she had lived in the U.S. for years, she prepared for the citizenship tests.
“I made flash cards (of the information),” she said. “When I was driving, my son would quiz me.”
Steiger said she enjoyed her swearing-in ceremony last spring at the Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse in St. Louis.
“It was definitely relief and happiness,” she said. “It was cool.”
Stringer said she is proud of Steiger’s achievement.
“I’m very pleased,” she said. “I know it was something she looked forward to for a long time.”
Jefferson College President Dena McCaffrey said she, too, was thrilled for Steiger.
“At Jefferson College, we have always thought of Aida as one of us; she has been a core member of our team for many years,” McCaffrey said. “I was ecstatic when I heard she obtained her U.S. citizenship. It is well deserved and I’m really proud of her.”
Steiger has maintained her ties with Lithuania, staying in touch with her family and friends.
“My parents come here to visit every year for a month in the summer to visit their grandchildren,” Steiger said. “My brother, Karolis, lives in Indiana with his wife. He married one of my former players from Jefferson College (Viktoriia Lavrenchenko).”
Steiger said her brother and sister-in-law plan to apply for American citizenship.
She said she feels she made the right decisions to come to Jefferson College and stay in the U.S.
“I’ve always appreciated the opportunities I got here,” she said. “My plan was to get my bachelor’s degree and return to Europe to play pro volleyball. But, I became close to Jo Ellen and her family. I fell in love with the culture. I always will be grateful to Jo Ellen and Jefferson College for taking a chance on an 18-year-old who barely spoke English. Then, I met my husband and we created a good life for us.
“The United States is where I live. I can now call it my country,” she said. “I say I’m an American citizen with a Lithuanian attitude.”