U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor visited the University of the Pacific in Stockton on Friday. She was the keynote speaker for the Advancing Women's Leadership program. Sotomayor focused on the young students in the audience.
Two thousand of the 3,000 people in attendance at the Spanos Center were students from college to middle school. And they asked her for a quote about being a latina.
"It's very cool to be a latina, and you know why it's cool, we're beautiful, we're sexy, we're smart, and we can dance (applause)."
Sotomayor also praised the teachers who were present. Many in the crowd were able to shake her hand as she walked among the audience, and for high school senior Leah Dutra it was a moving experience to hear her talk.
"There was a lot of seniors in the crowd and we're going to be moving off to college soon, so it was pretty inspirational, it was nice to hear."
Sotomayor had humble beginnings and she knows she has a commitment to the women who follow behind her.
"You have an obligation if you're a woman in a senior position to mentor and help other women achieve as well. If you're a minority like I am I have an obligation to give back to my community. That's why I'm here."
Follow us for more stories like this
CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you. As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.
Donate Today
