 Sotomayor has maintained a public presence , mostly through making speeches , since joining the federal judiciary and throughout her time on the Supreme Court . She gave over 180 speeches between 1993 and 2009 , about half of which either focused on issues of ethnicity or gender or were delivered to minority or women 's groups . While on the Supreme Court she has been invited to give commencement addresses at a number of universities including New York University ( 2012 ) , Yale University ( 2013 ) , and the University of Puerto Rico ( 2014 ) . Her speeches have tended to give a more defined picture of her worldview than her rulings on the bench . The themes of her speeches have often focused on ethnic identity and experience , the need for diversity , and America 's struggle with the implications of its diverse makeup . She has also presented her career achievements as an example of the success of affirmative action policies in university admissions , saying " I am the perfect affirmative action baby " in regard to her belief that her admission test scores were not comparable to those of her classmates . During 2012 while already on the Supreme Court , Sotomayor made two appearances as herself on the children 's television program Sesame Street , explaining what a vocational career is in general and then demonstrating how a judge hears a case . 
