The most important lesson I think I could impart is don't let anyone determine what your horizons are going to be. You get to determine those yourself. The only limitations are whatever particular talents you happen to have and how hard you're willing to work. And if you let others define who you ought to be, or what you ought to be because they put you in a category, they see your race, they see your gender and they put you in a category. You shouldn't let that happen.

There's no greater challenge and there is no greater honor than to be in public service.

I've been an athlete all my life. I was a competitive figure skater, and then when I realized skating was not an adult sport I took up tennis and played that quite seriously from the time I was about 18.

I laugh almost everyday. I have a good sense of humor, so I'm always finding something funny.

You never cede control of your own ability to be successful to something called racism.

It's bad policy to speculate on what you'll do if a plan fails when you're trying to make a plan work.

Everyone wants Russia to be a prosperous, democratic state that is fully integrated.