In the United States, only three percent of live births are twins, so growing up with another half is a very unique experience. At WHS, twins navigate the everyday challenge of finding their own identities while valuing the company of their siblings.
Senior Abbie Gilli has had a positive experience growing up with her twin sister, Jordan.
“Being the same age makes you closer because you experience a lot of the same things at the same time,” Gilli said. “Also, when I was younger, I would use it as my fun fact, and that was super cool.”
Freshman Cooper Kakabeeke, who has two sets of twins in his family, has also noted the advantages of having a twin.
“It’s like having a built-in friend. I’m never lonely at home, and with a friend by you, first days are fine,” Kakabeeke said.
At the same time, from a young age, many twins have been compared to each other in appearance.
“When we were younger, we looked more alike than we do now, so people mixed up our names when we were in the same class,” said Kakabeeke.
Junior Gracyn Summersgill has also had to deal with being mistaken for her twin sister, Whitney.
“Our mom dressed us in similar outfits, so a lot of people assumed we were identical,” Summersgill said.
Despite being fraternal twins and attending Weston for many years, people still mix up the Summersgills.
“A lot of people can’t tell us apart, which to me is kind of funny,” Summersgill said. “I think we look pretty different, but I guess other people don’t think so.”
Aside from appearances, as their grades, athletics, and extracurriculars have increased in importance, twins have had to face and overcome comparisons in these areas.
“People always try to figure out who’s the better twin and try to divide us,” said sophomore William Cahill. “They ask questions like: Who’s stronger? Who’s faster? Who’s smarter? They ask about everything, which can get really annoying.”
Dealing with a similar problem, junior twins Andreas and Alessandra Gavris have had to come up with a creative solution to keep tensions at bay.
“At the end of eighth grade, Andreas and I were very competitive with our grades and didn’t want to help each other out,” Alessandra Gavris said. “I knew we needed to do something about this, so I made a contract called the ‘Twin University Treaty’ that said we’re better and stronger as a team.”
On the other hand, freshman Aditya Mehta and his twin brother, Aarav, have had an easier time dealing with the criticism of others.
“We do face comparisons pretty often, but we are more focused on each other than what other people are saying,” Mehta said. “He’s better at track than I am at swimming, but I don’t let that affect me because I am happy for him, not really bothered or jealous.”
Being constantly together and compared has inhibited some twins’ sense of individuality, inspiring them to develop their own interests. For junior twins Emma and Alex Darling, who have done almost everything together, separating from each other has been a challenge.
“Sometimes I would feel like if Emma was doing something, then I had to as well, even if it wasn’t something I was into,” Alex Darling said. “I think that helped me realize more of who I am and our differences from each other.”
While sharing hobbies for some twins has not been problematic, for others, such as freshman Zoe and Gwen Jackson, a division is necessary.
“We try to find our own little realms,” said Gwen Jackson. “I’m in the band world and do debate and drama club after school, and Zoe plays volleyball at school and on her club team.”
Looking beyond high school, twins hope to continue to develop themselves as individuals apart from their siblings.
“It’s interesting thinking about the future,” Summersgill said. “I think it would be fun to go college together, but it would also be fun to go to a different college where I’m not just known as a twin.”