Sotomayor acknowledges the economic data — a college degree does mean more long-term earnings — but pushes past the dollar-and-cents argument. She describes how education enriches you as a person: it teaches critical thinking, persuasive argument, the ability to see things from many perspectives. It helps you navigate life's difficulties by mapping problems onto a broader understanding of how things work. She paraphrases the Niebuhr prayer: education teaches you to manage what cannot be changed, change what should be changed, and develop the wisdom to tell the difference. That, she says, is the real value.