Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett is on track to become the fifth woman in history to sit on the high court, and during the start of hearings in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee, she reflected on overcoming adversity as a woman, while honoring those who came before her.
The 48-year-old mother of seven touched on moments in her childhood and how a can-do attitude shaped her life and led to the achievements in her career.
“I remember preparing for a grade school spelling bee against a boy in my class and to boost my confidence, my dad saying, ‘Anything boys can do, girls can do better,'” Barrett said. “And at least as I remember it, I spelled my way to victory.”
Another challenge the judge touched on was when she was a college freshman taking a course full of upperclassmen. Guidance from her professor helped move her from feeling insecure about her lack of experience to confident in seeing herself as an equal student of the class.
“When I went to college, it never occurred to me that anyone would consider girls less capable than boys,” Barrett said. “My freshman year, I took a literature class filled with upperclassmen English majors, and when I did my first presentation, which was on Breakfast at Tiffany’s, I feared I had failed. But my professor took the time to talk to me, and she filled me with confidence about how well I had done, and she became a mentor. And when I graduated with a degree in English, she gave me Truman Capote’s collected works as a gift.”
Barrett also thanked those who helped pave the way for her to sit in front of the committee, including Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to sit on the Supreme Court, as well as the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Barrett’s nomination by President Trump came shortly after the death of Ginsburg last month.
“When I was 21-years-old and just beginning my career, Ruth Bader Ginsburg sat in this seat,” Barrett said. “She told the committee, ‘What has become of me could only happen in America.’ I have been nominated to fill Justice Ginsburg’s seat, but no one will ever take her place. I will be forever grateful for the path she marked and the life she led.”
Barrett would also be the first mother of school-age children to be on the Supreme Court if confirmed. She said she thinks that aspect of her life could benefit the court by bringing a new perspective.
She will be questioned by Democrat and Republican lawmakers throughout the week on her judicial philosophy and experience.
