Sandra Day O'Connor

Hello! My name is Sandra Day O'Connor, and I want to tell you my story. I was born on March 26th, 1930. I grew up on a big cattle ranch in Arizona called the Lazy B. Life on the ranch was very different from life in a city. We didn't have running water or even electricity! I had to be resourceful, which means I learned to find clever ways to solve problems. I learned important skills like how to ride horses and even how to change a flat tire on a car. Living on the ranch taught me to be strong and independent. It showed me how to figure things out all on my own, which was a very useful skill for my future.

I always loved to read and was a very curious child. My love for learning took me all the way to college and then to a special school called law school at Stanford University. Back in the 1950s, it was very unusual for women to become lawyers. Most of my classmates were men, but that didn't stop me. I wanted to learn all about the laws, which are the rules that help people live together fairly and safely. I studied very hard and did a great job. In 1952, I graduated from law school near the very top of my class.

After I finished school, I was excited to start my job as a lawyer. But it was much harder than I expected. Many companies told me that they would not hire a woman to be a lawyer. Can you imagine that? They didn't care how well I had done in school. I felt disappointed, but I knew I couldn't give up. I kept looking, and I finally found a job working for the government as a lawyer. I worked hard for many years. Later, I was elected to be a judge in my home state of Arizona. As a judge, my most important job was to make sure that the law was applied fairly to every single person, no matter who they were or where they came from.

One day in 1981, something amazing happened. I received a very important phone call from the President of the United States, Ronald Reagan. He asked me if I would serve as a justice on the Supreme Court. I was so surprised and honored! The Supreme Court is the highest and most important court in the whole country. It is made up of nine judges, who are called justices. They make the final decisions about our country's most important laws. I was the very first woman ever chosen for this job! I was so proud to be the first woman to wear the special black robe of a Supreme Court justice.

I served as a justice on the Supreme Court for 24 years. During that time, I helped make many important decisions that affected the lives of all Americans. I retired from the court in 2006 so I could take care of my husband. I lived to be 93 years old. I am remembered for opening doors for women in law and for showing that women could do any job they set their minds to. I hope my story encourages you to always work hard, be fair to others, and know that you can achieve anything, even if you are the first one to do it.