Sonia Sotomayor's My Beloved World

Sonia Sotomayor's My Beloved World was an interesting and a relatable book especially to read in my first semester in college. I learned so much from Sotomayor’s experience and what she went through to come to the conclusion that everything is going to be okay. And as long as I set a personal goal for myself and don’t give up, I can do it. She did such an amazing job in writing this novel that we could imagine what it was like to be in her shoes, every detail and mood she set with each chapter was as if we were going through what she was and being able to see the world from her mind. And the more I read the more I could relate with her from having being the first generation to attend college, the loss of a parent, and how it’s okay to start from somewhere in

order to achieve my goals.

The transition from high school to college was a bit challenging, and different from what it was from K-12. And relating to Sotomayor’s experience about being the first from my family to go to college, and not knowing how to fill out applications or FAFSA was a connection I found with her. It was good to know that I wasn’t alone, and somebody else went through the same thing. Where looking for colleges and finding the right one took longer than an average person, and how she had to figure out how to do everything from applications to tours. And this was also relatable for the reason that both of our parents were immigrants to this country, so growing up in a different environment from them there was so much we had to keep up with, and somehow being able to live with our heritage while simultaneously having to live with our lives as Americans. And being raised in a different place from our parent’s it was a challenge for us as we were the firsts to experience everything and have that untold burden upon us to do better and go further in life so that we can live past our parent’s expectations and go far in life while being successful.

Also going on how important family values and family was to her Sotomayor did an amazing job at explaining her childhood, and her memories which are still remembered to this day.

Another point of the book where it seemed like it wasn’t Sotomayor writing, but instead felt like it was a part of my life that I was reading was when she mentioned her father’s death. It was saddening to read, but something I could relate to as well. Being just 5 years older than Sotomayor was when her father passed away I was 14, when my mother did. Although it wasn’t for Alcoholism, but yet of cancer, it was still something that I hope no child experiences at such a young age. It makes you grow and become mature for others around you, and you have to keep a brave face on for your family because sometimes you’re the only one left for them to depend on. And when Sotomayor went off at her mother that one part when her mother was in depression and let herself cry it was okay because that’s what you need to do once in awhile is to just let it out. She was told by her relatives to have a brave face on, but again at such a young age that’s not something a child should go through especially with more obstacles happening at the same

time.

And as to become a future Audiologist I have learned that I have to start from somewhere and it’s okay to start from ground zero before achieving my goal. There was always this battle I had with myself and the struggle about not being like anybody else. And that I felt like I didn’t fit because I did things differently and I liked taking my time to succeed in something. And throughout the writings of Sotomayor that no matter what my background was or how my past was, I can use those experiences as wisdom and let it shape my future positively. I need to have good intentions and a straight set of what I want to do in life I can achieve it.

This book has opened my mind to reading more autobiographies and learning from the lives and experiences from those that have gone so far in life, but have had to fall and face obstacles before overcoming them. And from My Beloved World we can see the same from Sotomayor’s life, about what it took for her to get where she is today and how successful she is. I’m going to take the lessons I learned from Sotomayor’s life and apply them to myselves to better myself and my life. And in the end I’ll know that everything will be okay, and I’ve got to keep my head up with the set mind of achieving my goals.