Sonia Sotomayor: Early years

Sonia Sotomayor was born June 25, 1954 in the heart of New York City, the Bronx. At an early age, she knew she wanted to go into law, though she grew up in the projects. Her mother worked in a methadone clinic; her father died when she was only nine years old. She is of Puerto Rican heritage and should she be confirmed as a Supreme Court judge, will be the first Hispanic justice.

When Sonia Sotomayor was eight years old, she was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. With a keen interest in the Nancy Drew mystery series, she had contemplated becoming a detective. By the time Sotomayor had reached the age of ten, she was steadfast on entering the field of law.

"I was going to college and I was going to become an attorney, and I knew that when I was 10. Ten. That's no jest." Sotomayor told Greg B. Smith in an interview for the New York Daily News.

Sonia Sotomayor’s rise from the Bronx was greatly due to her determination as well as education. Raise a Catholic, she attended Blessed Sacrament School during her elementary years then continued at Cardinal Spellman High School located in the Bronx. In 1972, Sotomayor graduated as valedictorian and had been granted a full scholarship to Princeton. Sotomayor would be the Supreme Courts sixth Catholic justice.

At Princeton, Sotomayor’s hard work and determination meant extra hours studying and spending time with professors beyond the classroom setting. She became an outspoken student activist and after seeing a disproportionate ratio of Caucasian to Hispanic professors, she spoke out. Before long and after complaints and letters to the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare and the New York Times, Princeton began hiring Latino professors. Sotomayor graduated from Princeton in 1976.

Sonia Sotomayor video: A biographical sketch of Sonia Sotomayor

Sources: Judge’s Journey to Top Bronx’ Sotomayor rose from projects to Court of Appeals

Sotomayor would be sixth Catholic justice