From the Bronx in New York City to Yale Law School and now the nation鈥檚 capital, Sonia Sotomayor has made a name for herself despite the obstacles she鈥檚 encountered throughout her life.
鈥淢y life hasn鈥檛 been always easy, and yet I succeeded,鈥� Sotomayor said in a conversation with St. Louis on the Air host Don Marsh.
Growing up in poverty, learning English as a second language and being diagnosed with diabetes as a child, as well as grieving the death of her father when she was 9, are just a few of those obstacles.
鈥淭hese have been some difficult times, and [although] difficult times existed 鈥� I鈥檓 now a justice of the Supreme Court,鈥� she added.
Appointed in 2009 by then-President Barack Obama, Sotomayor became the first Latina to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.
鈥淚t was more a moment for my community because they could see that if I made it, they can too,鈥� she said.
On Tuesday, listeners heard highlights from Marsh鈥檚 interview with Sotomayor during a sold-out Sept. 6 event at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center on the University of Missouri-St. Louis campus. The justice was in town to discuss her recent children鈥檚 books that are published in both English and Spanish: 鈥�,鈥� a picture book, and 鈥�,鈥� which is an adaptation of her No. 1 New York Times-bestselling .
鈥淜ids are our future, and they are our greatest hope for a better future,鈥� Sotomayor said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why I do what I do. That鈥檚 why these children鈥檚 books came out, because I want them to do a better job than we have.鈥�
Listen to the full conversation:
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