Riding his unicycle across the quad sporting his bright green jester hat, Devon Jenkins certainly stands out in the otherwise rather mundane world of Redwood.
Jenkins, a senior, moved to Marin at the end of July, yet he’s already gained notoriety as “the unicycle kid.” However, Jenkins didn’t even start unicycling until he moved from Colorado. He said that it was actually the move that got him started in unicycling.

“I came out here from one of the poorest and smallest communities in Colorado with a school of about 175 kids, preschool through 12th grade, to one of the wealthiest in the country with tons of people,” Jenkins said. “I feel a lot less inhibited to be as ridiculous as I’d like to be.”

Jenkins’ transition to Redwood and the “ridiculousness” started when he moved to California with his mother after his parents divorced. After arriving in his new home, Jenkins spent $150 on a beginner’s unicycle, and he said he immediately fell in love with the activity.

“When I’m on the unicycle I forget about everything else and focus on me, the wheel, and the pedals,” Jenkins said. “It’s very relaxed and almost like a form of meditation for me. Plus, it acts as an icebreaker for the social anxiety I’ve always had dealing with people.”

Jenkins said that he is also trying to learn how to move beyond basic riding maneuvers—now he’s learning tricks.

“After I started unicycling I started hearing names like Kris Holm and other extreme unicyclists,” Jenkins said. “So I looked up these people, seeing what they could do and I realized that there’s a whole world of unicycling that most people have never explored.

Jenkins said that he’s received many different responses to his unusual form of transportation.

“I get a lot of people who think it’s cool and ask me to do tricks, tons of people who just stare in disbelief, and now and then a few people who ask me why I would want to unicycle,” Jenkins said. “But honestly, part of the reason is just to be different and stand out.”

Learning the skills to stand out through unicycling has given Jenkins a unique perspective on patience and determination.

“One of the many lessons I’ve learned from unicycling is that you have to have the patience to stick with something, whether its stilts or biking or unicycling,” Jenkins said. “There’s really no such thing as instant gratification, especially with something as rigorous as unicycling.”