 Penick originally wanted to attend Harvard University to become an attorney, and even though he wasn't too keen of UCLA, he ended up following in his older brother Clifford's footsteps and attended UCLA.Although his father was a paratrooper, the father couldn't stand the increasingly cold weather in Cleveland, Ohio, and decided to move the family to California where the weather is warmer.When given the choice via an academic counselor of either going to summer school at UCLA to bring up his grades or take a trip to West Africa, Penick decided, "Well, I'm going to West Africa".