Ms Mihndou Mahanga and the rest of her family, who live in Palmerston North, came to New Zealand as refugees in 2006. Ms Mihndou Mahanga came to Dunedin to study at the University of Otago three years ago.
Wearing bright purple traditional Congolese clothes for the ceremony, she was all smiles as she was given what she called the "privilege of being a Kiwi".
"It feels great ... I couldn't believe I was actually sitting there and receiving my citizenship from the mayor because I have been wanting this for a while," she said.
She said one of the major differences between Congo and New Zealand was the weather and the amount of support the Government provided for her education.
Ms Mihindou Mahanga was one of 38 people from 19 countries to become New Zealand citizens at the ceremony conducted by Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull.
"Those who came in to this building today as citizens of other countries will leave as New Zealanders and we welcome you," Mr Cull told the new citizens.
The citizens were presented with New Zealand citizenship certificates and native plants to symbolise the "putting down of roots" in their new country.
Others becoming New Zealand citizens yesterday were: William Anglin, Jennifer Anglin, Claire Anglin (United States), Baljinder Boparai (India), Dian De Meyer (South Africa), Marcela Dominguez-Gali (Chile), Alison Fitches (Britain), Tracy Geddes (Britain), Megan Harrop (Britain), Liang-Hsun Huang (Taiwan), Chan Jin (Korea), Jeahyeong Kim, Yeonok Kim, Seohyun Kim, Beomseo Kim (Korea), Olga Krutko (Ukraine), Alison Lewis (Britain), Lyudmila Medvedeva (Russia), Ryhana Muhammad Jaleel Greaves (Sri Lanka), Claire Nodder (Britain), Sekbong Oh (Korea), Tamara Pakholyuk (Ukraine), Kathleen Palenski (Australia), Neil Patel (Britain), Kathy Patel (United States), Luke Patel ( Britain, American), Lisa Saldivar-Urban (Belize), Matthias Urban (Belize, Germany), Ioane Seiuli (Samoa), Larisa Shagalieva (Russia), Sukhpreet Sihota (Britain, India), Jacob Singer (Israel), Sally Stevenson (United States), Trishala Varma (India), Azaria Woodford (Fiji), San Yin (Myanmar) and Lingsong Zheng (China).
