1. Garrett Penney L35106247
I was born with a condition called Duane Retraction Syndrome. It is a disorder of the
muscles of the eye that inhibits the movement of the eye to move outwards toward the ear. When
I looked to the left, this condition causes the eyeball to slightly retract back into the eye socket and
I appeared cross-eyed. The odd movement of my eye drew many uncomfortable questions from
adults and peers. This caused me to be self-conscious about my appearance and hurt my
confidence. I had trouble looking people in the eye for fear they could see what was wrong with
me.
This affected me in high school basketball, especially during my freshman year. I did not
speak often to the other players on my team. I worried that talking to them would bring more
attention to my eye and they would begin to ask me uncomfortable questions. Due to being self-
conscious when talking to them it took me all year to become good friends. My senior year of
basketball, despite the discomfort, I made friends with the new kids on the team within the first
few weeks.
I was uncomfortable around family members too. My father often took videos of my
siblings and me growing up. In almost every single video, I can be seen running away from the
camera or putting my hand up to cover the lens. When I was 17, I was fortunate enough to have
surgery that corrected some of the physical effects and made my eye appear more normal.
However, it has taken much longer to overcome the emotional effects. Over time, I have learned
that most people will not think of me differently because my eye appears to be lazy but my
confidence is still a work in progress. Even recently, when I asked a professor to write a letter of
recommendation, I emailed him because email was more comfortable than asking him in person.
When I thought about the true reason I asked over email instead of talking to him, I headed right
over to his office to ask him in person. I still do not enjoy looking people in the eye and having

2. Garrett Penney L35106247
my video taken, but I do not fight it now. It is something which I know I will continue to improve
on.
A few years after my surgery, while I was on a proselyting mission in Peru, I met a woman
who had just had eye surgery. Unlike my experience, her operation caused her eye to become
worse. I felt terrible for her because there was nothing I could do other than sympathize. I knew
she was going to live the rest of her life knowing that she had eye problems and that she would not
see as well. Later, upon hearing about an opportunity to translate for some doctors who came from
the United States to distribute prescription glasses, I thought about this kind lady and decided I
wanted to help translate and do anything I could for people who were in this circumstance. It was
one of the most rewarding experiences I have had. I loved being able to see the joy on people’s
faces as we gave them a pair of donated prescription glasses, especially knowing that they have
never owned a pair. It made me so happy to see someone who, like me, was able to find a solution
to their problem. I knew the feeling of being able to have a renewed sense of confidence and
determination to improve one’s life. Being able to help hundreds of people helped me to feel better
about not being able to help the woman who was negatively impacted by her eye surgery.
When I succeed at looking someone in the eye during a conversation, I get that same
excitement as when I saw people try on new glasses for the first time and be able to see again. I
know that law school will provide some of the best opportunities to strengthen my weaknesses and
do what I could not do before. As I complete law school and enter the profession I am determined
to keep adapting to any situation in which I find myself. Just like how I overcame my fear of
looking people in the eye, I plan on overcoming any insecurities I might have about talking to
clients, other attorneys, or going to court.