Last modified: Tuesday, June 30, 2009 2:20 AM EDT Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor smiles as President Barack Obama introduces her in late May. (AP photo) Judging Sonia BY TIFFANY BERARD ATTLEBORO HIGH SCHOOL News stations have worked overtime and people have been gossiping, all trying to cover one topic: Sonia Sotomayor, a Latina woman and the latest Supreme Court nominee. She has been scrutinized on everything, ranging from her life story to comments she has made in the past, yet many in the news refuse to acknowledge her excellent credentials and the diversity she would bring to the Supreme Court. Sotomayor has lived a life of ups and downs and her story has paralleled that of the "American Dream," a rags to riches fairy tale. She grew up in a poverty-stricken household in Bronx, where she had to deal at a very young age with two unfortunate events: her father's death and her diagnosis with type 1 diabetes. She has seen a world that many have not, and that is where her quote comes into play, that famous quote that has graced newspapers with such phrases as "Sotomayor, a reverse racist." "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of experience would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life," said Sotomayor back in 2001. Nobody is perfect. Statements are made every day that people wish they would have reworded. President Obama's cringe-worthy reference to the Special Olympics on a late night talk show made news for a few days, but people soon moved on to new topics. Sotomayor's words capture the heartaches she had to deal with, being a Latina woman living in the confines of a financially troubled city. She has experienced first hand many situations and policies, such as the benefits of affirmative action. Sotomayor often speaks candidly about how she graduated from such prestigious schools as Yale and Princeton. Her test scores, she admits, were below average for the schools she applied for. She often agrees that her Puerto Rican roots and life story may have contributed to her admission. Those who say the only reason she was able to attend Ivy League schools was her race, fail to recognize the success she had in high school. In 1972, she graduated as the valedictorian of her class at Cardinal Spellman. Her success as a lawyer has been defined by many well known cases. She helped save America's pastime, baseball. In 1995, she issued an injunction against Major League Baseball owners that ended the famous players' strike, which had lasted 234 days. Both Republicans and Democrats have praised Sotomayor. Former President George H.W. Bush, a Republican, spoke candidly about how he felt Sotomayor was highly qualified and should be "entitled to fair hearings." Another former president, Bill Clinton, a Democrat, nominated her for the U.S. Appeals Court, while recently, President Obama nominated her for the Supreme Court. Republicans have been stating that Sotomayor will allow her emotions, especially those regarding race, affect her decisions, rather than strictly following the Constitution. She is no different than the white man on the Supreme Court who may be subconsciously biased toward white people. Sotomayor is no different and it is time America starts realizing everyone has some sort of racial bias. Sotomayor deserves to be on the Supreme Court. She has built her life up from rags to riches. She may have made poor statements or she may be a product of affirmative action, but give her a chance to prove that she is a strong and intelligent woman who can make a difference. Her credentials are extraordinary, so let everything else be. Let it be.