Sotomayor tells the story of arriving at college feeling like she'd landed in an alien country. Her very first semester, she got a C+ on a midterm paper in American history — the lowest grade she'd received since fourth grade. She was devastated. But instead of retreating, she went to her professor, learned her structure and grammar needed work, spent countless hours with grammar books, and sought help from professors. By graduation she earned summa cum laude. The lesson crystallized: individual grit matters, but so does the willingness to ask for help and the presence of people willing to give it.