On Feb. 12, Law students headed to Miami Dade College’s Wolfson Campus to hear from Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
Schools throughout Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) with law studies programs were invited to attend the Wolfson campus event, with Krop students attending from both the Law elective program and Law Honors Society, an extracurricular club.
During the event, Sotomayor was interviewed by Maribel Perez Wadsworth, the CEO and president of Knight Foundation, a journalism non-profit. Wadsworth interviewed her on a variety of issues related to the working of the government, her life and how students can and should get involved in democracy.
In addition to Wadsworth’s interview of Sotomayor, ICivics CEO Louise Dube also spoke to kids, asking the audience what their favorite ICivics game was. Sotomayor also answered questions pre submitted by students.
Sotomayor discussed her rise from being raised in a poor neighborhood and family in the Bronx to becoming the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice.
“She talked about how she didn’t have many things growing up, but out of nothing, she made a whole lot. It inspires me because as many times as you might think you don’t have money, or you don’t have connections, or maybe you can’t get to a good spot in life, she shows you even being humble, you can get anywhere you want,” sophomore Kasey Alvarado said.
Sotomayor also outlined the work she had to do to advance in life, as well as how to take setbacks and turn them into opportunities.
“She told a story of when she learned how to write – no one had ever taught her how to write well from kindergarten all the way to high school,” junior Mark Schienkman said. “So, when she got to college and wrote her first paper she got a C, and this was her first C in her entire life, and she was like this professor is going to help me be the better person. She discussed looking for mentors and never giving up, there’s always a future.”
As well, Sotomayor elaborated on the importance of democracy, discussing how it has become strained in recent years by social media as well as by mistakes made by people in power. She also focused on how students should get involved in politics, and on the importance of them doing so.
“It really wasn’t even a political type of event. She did not talk about politics one way or another,” Law Honors Society Sponsor and CTE Teacher Ben Rosenthal said. “She just really wanted to hone down on telling the students that they can do whatever they set their minds to, that you need to be educated, and that democracy is not just voting, but being involved in your communities.”