Important themes are conveyed in how Sonia Sotomayor overcame obstacles to her success in life. These included coping with diabetes, an alcoholic father, family friction and poverty. When inadequate early educational experiences resulted in a "C" grade on a paper, she resolved to focus on learning to organiize and express her ideas effectively. When she realized that she lacked the experience of reading important literature, she focused on reading on her own. When she was diagnosed with diabetes at age seven, and her mother was not always available, she learned to give herself daily insulin injections. Her beloved grandmother gave her pride and joy in her Hispanic heritage, warmth and caring, food and music.
The grit and tenacity she exhibited in striving toward her goals, her ability to be self-reliant, and the self -esteem derived from her sense of ethnic identity were all significant.
Many articles have been written reflecting various aspects of these ideas. They are available through the Library, and some may be accessed via this LibGuide.
