Education has always been a wrecking ball in the hands of people who are courageous enough to take a swing. President Obama smashed through a social barrier many thought was unbreakable when he became the 44th President of the United States, a position never occupied by a black man. He credits his success to a never-ending passion for education and an unshakable belief that anyone can do anything if they are determined – fortune favors the bold. Well, if that’s the case, Judge Sonia Sotomayor is not only bold…she’s underlined and italicized. Nominated as the first Hispanic person to sit on the Supreme Court, the inspirational story of Judge Sotomayor is one that we can all learn from. No matter her poor upbringing or the difficulties trying to succeed throughout the various stages in her life, Sotomayor never stopped believing that a strong education and desire for success would make her into the legal scholar and teacher she is today.

Sotomayor is, like most of the Supreme Court Justices, a product of the best universities in America. Summa cum laude from Princeton. A graduate of Yale Law School. Her resume is diamond cut. However, it’s not her credentials that make her a standout; it’s what’s behind her background that sketches in the front and center details. Sotomayor grew up in a housing project in Bronx, NY, a regular kid from a regular working class family. Her father had a third grade education and couldn’t speak English. Her mother, Celina, spent twenty five hours a day trying to make ends meet. No matter how hard things were, Celina never let the realities of tough living stop her from instilling a strong educational foundation in Sonia. She bought Sonia an encyclopedia set early on. She stayed up later than her body would allow to help her daughter with homework. Celina knew her jobs as a nurse and telephone operator were just part-time gigs – her main job was to make sure Sonia knew about the value of an education. That in America, education was a winning lottery ticket that just needed cashing in.

Sonia used these lessons as fuel to become a winner. In getting into the colleges of her dreams, she made sure she invested herself into her education. She also made sure to stay closely connected with another inseparable part of her – her Hispanic heritage. Coming from a very ethnic neighborhood in the Bronx, her transition to the Ivy Leagues was a tough one. She once said she felt like Princeton was an “alien” land, making the strong ties she knotted with the minority organizations at school even more rewarding.

From some of the toughest streets in America to some of the toughest hallways in academia, Sotomayor saw many versions of life’s plan. After graduation, she wanted to stay linked to education as much as she could. Sotomayor held teaching positions at several of the nation’s top universities. She has been a trustee at Princeton, and has held academic positions at the NYU School of Law and Columbia University. Furthermore, when becoming a judge, she presided over several high profile trials about education, allowing her unique perspective to play an important role in how cases about education were decided.

As a higher education advocate and employee, Sotomayor’s nomination for a Supreme Court Judgeship should be inspirational for anyone who wants to be in the legal field or teaching field. Judge Sotomayor decided not use excuses to derail her passion, and kept sacred the lessons taught to her early on in life. As the poet Horace once said, mutato nomine, de te fabula narratur. The translation of this intensely reflective statement is “change only the name and the story is about you.” Trying to make a difference – sometimes it makes all the difference in the world. It did with Sonia Sotomayor. Maybe it can for you.