Justice Sotomayor meets with local Latino students

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor encouraged a group of local students to not let those who may doubt them keep them from succeeding.

Sotomayor made the remarks at the Minnesota History Center, during an event entitled “The Latino Legal Experience in Minnesota.”

“You decide who you want to be, what you want to be,” Sotomayor said. “You decide whether someday you’re going to be a Sonia Sotomayor or not.”

About 100 students were on stage with Sotomayor, with some getting the chance to ask her questions. They took part in an essay and art contest asking them to describe their experiences as Latinos in Minnesota.

“She just made me realize that you can make it, that she's an example of it and you can achieve,” said Jennifer Tigre, a senior at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Minneapolis. “Her whole thing was based on education, she put so much effort into it.”

There's one question Sotomayor could not answer, and that was about her plans to help immigrants.

Sotomayor declined because immigration is an issue that could come up before the court. She did say people in the community can show that immigrants bring value to the country.

The students also heard from Latino legal professionals in Minnesota and members of the Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association volunteered to be their mentors.

The U.S. District Court – Distict of Minnesota  and the Federal Bar Association also sponsored the event.