“I strive never to forget the real world consequences of my decisions on individuals, businesses and government.”

I have never had to face anything that could overwhelm the native optimism and stubborn perseverance I was blessed with.

Success is its own reward, but failure is a great teacher too, and not to be feared.

I have always been actively involved in my community, belonging to organizations that promote the interests of Latinos. But I also know that the issues we confront are the same issues, in many respects, as the larger community. So what we do helps not just us but everybody.

You make your life choices understanding that you might and do have to work harder to prove yourself.

I have never, ever focused on the negative of things. I always look at the positive.

Without question, so many people, throughout my life, never think of Puerto Rico as part of the United States. Many people have no idea what the relationship is between Puerto Rico and the United States. And certainly, I have been asked if we are citizens.

Don’t mistake politeness for lack of strength.

You know, failure hurts. Any kind of failure stings. If you live in the sting, you will – undoubtedly – fail. My way of getting past the sting is to say no, I’m just not going to let this get me down.

We have to look and ensure that we’re paying attention to what we’re doing, so that we don’t reflexively institute processes and procedures that exclude people without thought.

The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to speak openly and candidly on the subject of race, and to apply the Constitution with eyes open to the unfortunate effects of centuries of racial discrimination.

As you discover what strength you can draw from your community in this world from which it stands apart, look outward as well as inward. Build bridges instead of walls.

The Latina in me is an ember that blazes forever.

I think that even someone who got into an institution through affirmative action could prove they were qualified by what they accomplished there.

I was a keen observer and listener. I picked up on clues. I figured things out logically, and I enjoyed puzzles. I loved the clear, focused feeling that came when I concentrated on solving a problem and everything else faded out.

If you’re poor, you don’t often live near a good school. If it’s a competitive public school program, our kids are not prepared to enter those programs.

The challenges I have faced – among them material poverty, chronic illness, and being raised by a single mother – are not uncommon, but neither have they kept me from uncommon achievements.

A dream without a goal, and without action, has no opportunity to come true.

My mother taught me that no matter how you earn a living, whether you’re a caregiver or truck driver, grocery store clerk or small business owner, every job has inherent value and worth.

Quick wins don’t last, always focus on the long game.

Be always the work in progress. The day you finish learning is the day you are finished.

Without a game plan and without a strong sense of faith in what you’re doing, it’s gonna be really hard to accomplish anything.

Fishes live in the sea, as men do on land: the great ones eat up the little ones.

Most important thing is to get rid of doubt. If you got doubt in what you’re doing it’s not gonna work.

Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.