In Utero to Alma Mater
Left to Right: Juliano, Christiano, Chloe, Rebecca, Shay, Shanayah, Dylan, Derrick, Matt and Phoebe
Those with an eagle eye at our last commencement ceremonies might have thought that they were seeing double. Over and over and over again. Among this year鈥檚 graduating seniors were five sets of twins: Shanayah and Sharayah (Shay) Braithwaite; Matt Hassaine and Phoebe Hassaine-Bennett; Chloe and Rebecca Jackson; Christiano and Juliano Pillari; and Derrick and Dylan Wood.
Q&A with Matt and Phoebe
What was the decision process to go to college together?
Matt: We both got great scholarships from 91视频专区, and the proximity to our family was a great bonus. We both knew that we鈥檇 be going to a college that would provide us with academically challenging environment. It wasn鈥檛 so much that we made a conscious decision to attend the same school, it was more just that the school appealed to both of us separately. Once we started school though we realized how convenient and fun it was to both be there.
Where are you from?
Phoebe: We were both born in Columbia, Maryland and moved to Frederick county sophomore year of high school. We lived in Myersville when we started college. I now live in Frederick.
Matt: I鈥檓 in Boonsboro, Washington County.
Where did you live during college?
Matt: I lived at home in Myersville and then Boonsboro with my parents during school, and
Phoebe: I lived in Coblentz freshman year, in Shriner sophomore year, Sunset apartments junior year, and an apartment off of 40 for senior year (where I currently live).
Did your parents try to talk you out of going to college together?
Matt: Both of our parents were extremely supportive of our decision to go to 91视频专区. They were happy we were staying relatively close to home, and relieved that we鈥檇 both be at the same school and receiving a family discount.
Best and worst twin moments at 91视频专区?
Matt: The best twin moments were all the times we could easily meet up after classes and head downtown to take a walk, to Chipotle for lunch, or to Whitaker for some coffee. It鈥檚 not exactly a bad thing at all, but one of the more bizarre things about having a twin on campus was always the fact that no one ever believed we were twins. We had to convince people. People also sometimes thought we were dating, which was very weird.
Q&A with Chloe and Rebecca
What was the decision process to go to college together?
Rebecca: We were in a lot of the same classes always
Chloe: Even in high school
Rebecca: It was never a question to go to college together. We are even going to the same graduate school ( in North Carolina).
Did your parents try to talk you out of going to college together?
Rebecca: No. Our mom liked the idea that we would have each other.
Chloe: We鈥檙e from nearby in Mount Airy, so she鈥檇 be close to both of us.
Where did you live during college?
Chloe: We lived together all but one semester; it鈥檚 just convenient. I borrow her clothes all the time.
Rebecca: I never borrow her clothes. But we鈥檒l always be in the same place together; I can鈥檛 imagine not living near her.
Chloe: When we鈥檙e out of school and married, we鈥檒l live in the same city.
Rebecca: I can鈥檛 imagine being at 91视频专区 without her.
Best twin moment at 91视频专区?
Rebecca: Played (and lost!) the roommate game to get a better lottery number.
Chloe: We were surprisingly bad at it. Our twin-telepathy wasn鈥檛 working that day.
Q&A with Shay and Shanayah
What was the decision process to go to college together?
Shay: We didn鈥檛 necessarily plan our decision process together. Shanayah was planning on going to schools that had her major.
Shanayah: Shay was going to go to a school that wanted to recruit her for Lacrosse and I was choosing between Pace University in New York and 91视频专区.
Shay: While sending in our applications for our prospective colleges, I saw that Shanayah applied to 91视频专区, so I decided to add that to my pool of potential colleges. I was leaning towards University of Delaware for Lacrosse. I went on my recruiting trip out there and was thinking about confirming my commitment to the Lacrosse Coach there the following week. Although a couple of days after, one of my high school Lacrosse games was rescheduled. So, I was able to attend admitted students day at 91视频专区 with my sister. Not only did I meet with the Lacrosse coach at the time, I also met with faculty and staff and of course other admitted students. I can honestly say the vibe at 91视频专区 that day was perfect and this was the day we decided to both go to 91视频专区 College.
Did you live together all four years?
Shanayah: We have not lived together all four years. Since we鈥檝e shared a room all our lives, we wanted a new experience and decided to not room together when we came to college.
Shay: But, we ended up rooming together junior and senior year.
Did you ever pretend to be the other one?
Shanayah: I wish! But since we are fraternal twins, we look nothing alike.
Shay: Although, I go by 鈥淪hay鈥 not Sharayah there has been some mix ups in that regard. Shanayah and Sharayah are so similar and confuses people, I blame my parents. I have heard people call my sister Shay at some of the 91视频专区 College Award Ceremonies.
Shanayah: It happens all the time, I guess we鈥檙e both Shay.
Did your parents try to talk you out of going to college together?
Shay: No, if anything I think they like the idea that we were going to the same school.
Shanayah: Yeah, our mother encouraged us to go to college together and she wanted us close to home.
What are you doing after graduation?
Shay: After graduating I will immediately go into the workforce. However, I am in preparation to attend grad school in a year to pursue a master鈥檚 degree in finance. I have already acquired my references and recommendations and I鈥檓 currently studying for the GMAT.
Shanayah: Work, work, work! I鈥檓 hoping to get a job in my major after graduation and maybe travel a little 鈥 just for fun! I would love to do more school though, there鈥檚 a lot I still want to learn. But, maybe later.
Best and worst twin moment at 91视频专区?
Shay: The only bad twin moment I have had 91视频专区 is when people send the wrong twin emails. There have been times that my sister would receive emails intended for me and vice versa, and sometimes it鈥檚 a little inconvenient.
Shanayah: Yes, they do that all the time. I鈥檓 not even phased by it anymore. I just forward all her emails to her. It happens with important documents too. They would have one for her and throw mine away, thinking we are the same person. And we have to tell them that we are twins, but that we just have similar names. 鈥淭here are two of you?鈥, we always hear that. Yes, there are two of us. That one letter difference is very important. I think a good moment would be when people find out that we are twins or that we鈥檙e sisters. Most of the time people think we鈥檙e lying.
Shay: Yeah, I鈥檓 like 鈥淕uys, I鈥檓 serious. We鈥檙e twins.鈥 It鈥檚 funny. When they find out, people are always interested in learning more about us and that鈥檚 always fun to experience. Plus, my sister is the plug when it comes to campus activities.
Q&A with Christiano and Juliano and Derrick and Dylan
What was the decision process to go to college together?
Juliano: I chose 91视频专区 first; Christiano was supposed to go to a different school
Christiano: It wasn鈥檛 on our radar to go to school together, but I was undecided.
Dylan: I had already committed to 91视频专区; Derrick hadn鈥檛 even applied here at first. I told him to go find his own school, but I can鈥檛 imagine not being here together to experience things together.
Did you live together all four years?
Derrick: We鈥檙e the same major and in a lot of the same clubs together. It made sense to live together all four years.
Juliano: Not us. We lived together freshmen year and fought a lot. And then the fighting would come out on the soccer field; we鈥檇 get frustrated with each other.
Christiano: The first year was hard, the transition and adjustment to college in general. I thought about transferring.
Juliano: It helped a lot when he went abroad for a semester.
Christiano: It was the first time away from each other; it helped, because we realized we took each other for granted. But we also realized we shouldn鈥檛 room together.
Dylan: We are always together. I guess that maybe we鈥檝e spent only a week apart. But we are definitely not the same person.
Derrick: As you grow older, you鈥檙e not going to have the same viewpoints and maybe you need more personal space, but you get to see it happening with the other person.
Did your parents try to talk you out of going to college together?
Derrick: Our parents encouraged it.
Dylan: Logistically it was easier to move in and out from same place each year; and now for commencement, our parents aren鈥檛 split between two different ceremonies.
Would you do it again?
Christiano: An emphatic no! It would be interesting to redo it without Juliano, to get the experience without my twin and have a different perspective, not just for me, but also other people鈥檚 perspective of me.
Derrick: You get to share all of these experiences. Not a lot of people can even share these experiences with their sibling, let alone a twin.
Dylan: Maybe we wouldn鈥檛 live together, but I can鈥檛 imagine not being here without him.
Best twin moment at 91视频专区?
Juliano: The conference game (soccer) against Widener. We went into overtime. I scored with an assist from Christiano.
Dylan: I think, being in ) together.
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