Justice Sonia Sotomayor says that when she was in high school, she probably did not even realize that the U.S. Supreme Court existed, much less did she aspire to serve on it.
鈥淚鈥檓 not sure I learned that there was a Supreme Court鈥� until college, Sotomayor told a group of 150 young people in Washington at the of the . The 56-year-old justice used much of her half-hour talk before the 150 children and teenagers at a Washington hotel to describe her experiences and challenges of living with type 1 diabetes.
鈥淵ou get to do anything you want,鈥� she told the young people, who also live with type 1 diabetes. 鈥淚 now have the job of my dreams. And it鈥檚 a really cool job.鈥�
During a question-and-answer session, Stephen Wallace, of Detroit, told Sotomayor that he was in 10th grade and his goal was to become a Supreme Court justice.
鈥淲hat were you doing in the 10th grade to prepare to be on the Supreme Court?鈥� Wallace asked the justice.
Sotomayor smiled and said, 鈥淣ot much.鈥�
She explained that despite her lack of awareness about the high court, by that age she did know she wanted to be a lawyer and perhaps a trial judge. Those are two ambitions that the Bronx native achieved before also serving on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, in New York City, and on the high court since 2009.
Sotomayor told the young people she participated in activities that proved to be helpful in her career. She joined her school鈥檚 debate team and also took part in a public speaking club, what was then widely called forensics.
鈥淚 also got involved in student government, though I never wanted to be a politician,鈥� she said.
She noted that law schools welcomed students from a variety of backgrounds, instead of requiring a rigid, singular path of preparation.
鈥淚f you want to become a Supreme Court justice, do the things you like, and do them well,鈥� Sotomayor said.
鈥淢aybe someday I鈥檒l be there when you are being sworn in鈥� as a justice, Sotomayor told the young man who asked the question.
Sotomayor discussed being diagnosed with diabetes at age 7, when she found herself constantly thirsty and fainting in church. She once ran from doctors and hid under a car to avoid being pierced by a large needle for a diagnostic blood test, but she was soon sterilizing her own syringes in boiling water.
鈥淚 learned it takes forever to get water to boil,鈥� she said, noting that she would make her school lunch or set out her school clothes while the water warmed up each morning. She told the young people they now have it somewhat easier with disposable syringes and insulin pumps.
She injects her insulin four to six times a day, she said.
鈥淏efore I take the bench, I check my sugars to make sure I鈥檓 not going to have a low while I listen to people argue鈥� cases before the high court, Sotomayor said.
Asked whether there was anything about having diabetes that was a positive, Sotomayor said that it taught her discipline, whether with nutrition, her study habits in school, or in learning to salsa dance at age 50.
鈥淚 pay attention to my body,鈥� Sotomayor said.
Alexander Oppen, from Kenosha, Wis., a 17-year-old participant in the Children鈥檚 Congress, said he found Sotomayor鈥檚 talk inspiring.
鈥淪he grew up in an era when she did not have all the resources that I have鈥� to deal with diabetes, said Oppen, who is involved in drag racing and may become a teacher. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really a bad disease, and she takes it with such a great attitude. It鈥檚 great to see that we can aspire to do anything. We鈥檙e not going to let this disease stop us from doing what we want to do.鈥�