Sonia Sotomayor: Ken had gotten into Princeton because his math teacher at our high school had suggested to him that he should apply to the Ivy Leagues. He also didn’t know what they were but his teacher told him, he went, and he calls me up one day and says, “Sonia, you have to apply to an Ivy League college.” And my next question was, “What’s that?” He described it as the best colleges in the United States. That was his simple answer. My second question was, “How do I get in?” And he said, “You apply.” Which sounds so simplistic, doesn’t it? And almost unbelievable. But I think kids have to understand that we’re talking about an age where there wasn’t the Internet. Where really, television programs weren’t as concentrated on education as they are today. A lot of that started to grow up with me but weren’t a part of the life I was in at the time. At any rate, he says to me, “You apply. Our guidance counselors will give you the applications.” I said, “How much will it cost me?” And he retorted by saying, “Nothing, because you’re as poor as I am. You’ll get a scholarship.” I said, “Alright, how much are the applications, do I have to pay for that?” He said, “Same thing, they’re going to waive them, don’t worry. Just apply.” So I asked him which ones to apply to. He told me, I applied to them, and lo and behold I got in. But it was not with an understanding of what I had accomplished. That came after I got in. As I was telling people about where I was going to college, and I could see both surprise in their faces and a sense of, I think the word is “admiration,” in their eyes. And from there I began to understand that getting into a place like Princeton wasn’t a norm. And it certainly wasn’t expected of a child like me. But it was something that would be important to me.