This post was written by DPCHS senior Julian Nunez.

Winston was the epitome of a scholar athlete, a selfless son, a leader, and an overall ambitious, dedicated young man. This is what I want people to remember about Winston. I want everyone to know that Winston was such a happy soul and had this nature to him that everyone loved. In my opinion, I think that everyone should aspire to be like Winston or have some of the attributes he embodied perfectly. I want everyone to remember Winston because all of his successes and achievements would be known had he still been here today. Winston was on track to do great things for himself, his family, and the world.

Democracy Prep’s motto is “Work hard. Go to college. Change the world.” Winston was already doing this at the age of 17. He worked hard every day, whether that was on the field, in the classroom or at home. Winston got into Cornell! This is something kids like him and myself could only dream about doing. A Latino man getting into an Ivy League! No one would’ve thought that this was possible 200 years ago. Winston was bound to change the world beyond DP’s senior Change the World project. He was bound to leave his mark with his Cornell architectural degree. His passion for building and creating was going to give him so many opportunities to better our communities, and I know he wouldn’t have passed up on these chances.

For all that Winston has done to enhance the community and the sense of family across the DP network, I thought it was a good idea to remember Winston in some way, shape or form. I knew Winston as a soccer player more than anything. I knew his dedication to the sport. I knew is ambition to improve as a player. I knew his ability to be a leader for the team. I knew the trust that Coach had in Winston because he was our last man. Winston was our sweeper. Our protection. We all trusted Winston, and there was no one better to play that position. Winston stood tall and strong, a force to be reckoned with. I knew the confidence Winston possessed as he stepped on the field knowing we could win and we would win. I knew the enthusiasm Winston displayed during practice, warm ups, during games and even when we lost some games. I knew the resilience Winston had when he would bounce right back from a mistake and make up for it. Winston never settled for less on the field, and I know that as a pre-freshman at Cornell University, he definitely didn’t settle for less in the classroom.

I remember Winston used to love rubber bracelets, but we aren’t allowed to wear jewelry while playing, so I thought black armbands would be the perfect way to remember Winston as we played the sport. Winston didn’t get to carry a trophy for the soccer team, so I wanted to have armbands that would represent Winston being on the field with us. I wanted the black armbands to serve as the same motivation Winston gave us when he was actually on the field along our side.

We got these armbands on our third game against Inwood. I swear I have never seen our team play with such strength and passion. It was because of Winston. Winston was out there on that field with us. Winston will continue to play along with us. In our hearts and on our sleeves. We want to make it all the way to the championship for Winston. That’s the goal. And I dedicate it to him. W for win. W for Winston.

1,2,3 DP…. 4,5,6 Winston!