My hope is that I will take the good from my experiences and extrapolate them further into areas with which I am unfamiliar. I simply do not know exactly what that difference will be in my judging. But I accept there will be some based on my gender and my Latina heritage.

I am an ordinary person who has been blessed with extraordinary opportunities and experiences.

Whether born from experience or inherent physiological or cultural differences, our gender and national origins may and will make a difference in our judging.

I am an ordinary person who has been blessed with extraordinary opportunities and experiences. Today is one of those experiences.

I want to state upfront, unequivocally and without doubt: I do not believe that any racial, ethnic or gender group has an advantage in sound judging. I do believe that every person has an equal opportunity to be a good and wise judge, regardless of their background or life experiences.

I am a New Yorker, and 7:00 A.M. is a civilized hour to finish the day, not to start it.