Devon Weston


UC Prompt: Describe the world you come from — for example, your family, community or school — and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.


My world is blue, not the blue of tears and not the blue of loss. My world is blue of water and sky- bold and majestic, simple and unspoiled. The moments where I have felt most at peace and most inspired have been beneath a wide open sky or submerged in the fluid freedom of water. Overcoming a lot of my fears has mostly taken place under the blue sky.


Putting on my hot pink wetsuit and my dad helping me put some water-skis on -- my heart was beating out of my body. Questions were going through my head. Am I going to fall? Will it hurt? My mom and dad both saw fear in my eyes, but also confidence and bravery.


The moment I jumped in, the water seemed five times colder with everything on my mind. My body was shaking with nerves and goosebumps. I was sitting in the water looking at the boat. My mom with a camera and my dad giving me thumbs up. I knew how scared I was, but I wanted to feel like one of them; I wanted to do this.


With my little hands barely fitting around the ski rope handle, I told my dad to go. The moment the rope pulled, I held on to the rope as hard as I could, and halfway up, I opened my eyes, and before I knew it, I was tasting the water in the lake. I fell face first into the water. When the boat came back around, my dad asked me if I was ok. My eyes started watering and I wanted to give up, but both my mom and dad told me I could do it. So wiping my tears, I waited for the rope to come back around to try it again. My mom asked me if I was ready again, and I told her I wanted to do this. As the rope tugged, and with my heart beating so fast, I kept my eyes open and bent my knees.


Within five seconds, I felt myself fly up and it was like I was floating. I closed my eyes and re- opened them, and I noticed I wasn’t in the water. My mom was screaming with so much excitement; I looked down and saw that they were moving and I was on top of the water. I had finally done it. I had finally done what I had always seen my parents do. I stood up on water-skis at the age of four.


The feeling of having accomplished something that I’ve always had a fear about felt amazing. I knew if I really set my mind to something that I could do it. This event really made an impact on my life because I was only four years old when I overcame that fear, and it took a lot for me to have that confidence at that age, and the drive to continue pushing myself. Every time I feel I can not do something, I look back to this very day and I know that if I set my mind to something and really strive to achieve it, I can do anything.


The support my mom and dad gave me to continue trying and not give up gave me so much confidence, and I know giving it back to others means a lot to them too. Being in that situation where you are constantly told you can do it, makes you feel like you really matter, and people care. Being an impact on someone’s life and helping them strive toward a goal they have helps the both of you, because when you are given confidence, it makes you want to return the favor.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12