8B Lessons from Sonia

A New Beginning, Time to Shine

“As you discover what strength you can draw from your community in this world from which it stands apart, look outward as well as inward. Build bridges instead of walls.” - 
Sonia Sotomayor 

 

My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor was the common read assigned to freshmen this year at orientation over the summer. Since 2009, Southern has assigns incoming students a book to read the summer before they start their first semester to open their mind to college level reading. The common read is assigned to also prepare first year students to think, write and listen to what others have to say about the book.

I think Southern choose My Beloved World as the common read this year because there is so much we can learn from Sonia Sotomayor's story. Throughout her childhood she experienced so much at such a young age. Her father was an alcoholic, who died early, she lost her best friend who was her grandmother and she lived in one of the poorest areas of New York. Though she faced so many hardship throughout her childhood, she never gave up. Sonia was the first to go to college in her family and ended up becoming very successful when she finally became the Supreme Court Justice of the United States.

All first year college students can look at Sonia Sotomayor’s story and learn the act of persistence through her experience. College is never going to be easy sailing, there are going to be times where many students consider dropping out because their classes become too difficult. Whenever a student begins to feel like things are too difficult to push through, they should all think back to Sonia’s story and how she overcomes many difficult times throughout her childhood. Whenever I have a difficult time here at school, I am not going to give up, I will get through everything I need to get through just like Sonia did in her life.

First year students can take the lessons of hard work and persistence from Sonia Sotomayor's book and apply them to their first year.  I learned so much about never giving up from Sonia’s book. I plan to apply all of what I learned through her book and put it towage my first year experience here at Southern!