To some adults, all teenagers may seem the same.
In the case of Forsyth County school system’s class of 2010, that wouldn’t be too far from the truth.
The district has 14 sets of twins in its four high schools, whose graduations began Saturday and wrap up Tuesday.
The county’s fifth high school, Lambert, opened in the fall and did not have a senior class this year.
With six pairs, South Forsyth High leads the way among twins.
“This is the most amount of twins we’ve had in a graduating class,” said South counselor Jolie Kimmel, who’s worked at the school for 10 years.
She said having a sibling in the same grade allows for mutual support as well as some “healthy competition” in many cases.
Identical twins Kathleen and Erin Rooney agreed they could help each other at South, especially with homework assignments.
They shared several of the same friends, the same sports and a few of the same classes.
“There’s always someone to hang with,” Kathleen Rooney said.
They did notice that there were more twins in their grade than others at school, Erin Rooney said, but different class schedules kept most of the twins separated.
The Rooneys did share their AP English senior class, where teacher Elizabeth Holcomb said they were one of only two sets of twins she’s had in the same class in her 31 years of teaching.
Holcomb had a system to distinguish the twins.
“My kids sit alphabetically,” she said. “One sat in front of the other so I always knew which one it was.”
South’s graduation is Tuesday. From there, the girls will set off to the same college, though they plan to live on opposite ends of campus.
Nicole Bader said she and her twin, Kasey, will be living in different states next year for college, something she said “will be weird at first.”
The sisters were the only twins in North Forsyth’s class, which also graduates Tuesday, so Bader said it was “crazy” to hear there were so many twins their age across the county.
Though a novelty at North, Bader said several of their peers still were surprised to learn they were twins.
“We’re both really opposite from each other,” Bader said. “If you looked at us, you could not tell that we’re twins at all.”
Kim Head, vice principal at Forsyth Central, said most twins develop different personalities by high school “and don’t necessarily go in the same direction.”
She would know, since she’s also the mother of Brittany and Lauren, one of four sets of twins that graduated Saturday from Central.
Head said she’s been noticing more twins and triplets coming through the school in recent years, a topic on which she can easily relate to with parents and students.
Having two daughters leaving for the same college next year could mean twice the emotion on graduation day.
“That’s the big joke around here: How many Kleenex boxes will Ms. Head have on stage?” she said.
Mother Cyndi Banasiak will watch her twins, Jordan and Josh, take the stage with West Forsyth’s two other sets of twins and their classmates at the school’s graduation Tuesday.
While she said the siblings had different paths and friends in high school, it’s hard to separate that bond.
“They’re like normal brother and sister,” she said. “But the other one will come to their rescue in a minute.”
Jordan Banasiak agreed that she and her brother always stick up for each other, including her being a cheerleader for his basketball team.
She enjoys being a twin because it’s unique and there’s someone her own age in the house.
The two will split up next year for college, but Jordan Banasiak said it isn’t a very far drive between them.
“He’s always there for me, and I’m always there for him,” she said.
In the case of Forsyth County school system’s class of 2010, that wouldn’t be too far from the truth.
The district has 14 sets of twins in its four high schools, whose graduations began Saturday and wrap up Tuesday.
The county’s fifth high school, Lambert, opened in the fall and did not have a senior class this year.
With six pairs, South Forsyth High leads the way among twins.
“This is the most amount of twins we’ve had in a graduating class,” said South counselor Jolie Kimmel, who’s worked at the school for 10 years.
She said having a sibling in the same grade allows for mutual support as well as some “healthy competition” in many cases.
Identical twins Kathleen and Erin Rooney agreed they could help each other at South, especially with homework assignments.
They shared several of the same friends, the same sports and a few of the same classes.
“There’s always someone to hang with,” Kathleen Rooney said.
They did notice that there were more twins in their grade than others at school, Erin Rooney said, but different class schedules kept most of the twins separated.
The Rooneys did share their AP English senior class, where teacher Elizabeth Holcomb said they were one of only two sets of twins she’s had in the same class in her 31 years of teaching.
Holcomb had a system to distinguish the twins.
“My kids sit alphabetically,” she said. “One sat in front of the other so I always knew which one it was.”
South’s graduation is Tuesday. From there, the girls will set off to the same college, though they plan to live on opposite ends of campus.
Nicole Bader said she and her twin, Kasey, will be living in different states next year for college, something she said “will be weird at first.”
The sisters were the only twins in North Forsyth’s class, which also graduates Tuesday, so Bader said it was “crazy” to hear there were so many twins their age across the county.
Though a novelty at North, Bader said several of their peers still were surprised to learn they were twins.
“We’re both really opposite from each other,” Bader said. “If you looked at us, you could not tell that we’re twins at all.”
Kim Head, vice principal at Forsyth Central, said most twins develop different personalities by high school “and don’t necessarily go in the same direction.”
She would know, since she’s also the mother of Brittany and Lauren, one of four sets of twins that graduated Saturday from Central.
Head said she’s been noticing more twins and triplets coming through the school in recent years, a topic on which she can easily relate to with parents and students.
Having two daughters leaving for the same college next year could mean twice the emotion on graduation day.
“That’s the big joke around here: How many Kleenex boxes will Ms. Head have on stage?” she said.
Mother Cyndi Banasiak will watch her twins, Jordan and Josh, take the stage with West Forsyth’s two other sets of twins and their classmates at the school’s graduation Tuesday.
While she said the siblings had different paths and friends in high school, it’s hard to separate that bond.
“They’re like normal brother and sister,” she said. “But the other one will come to their rescue in a minute.”
Jordan Banasiak agreed that she and her brother always stick up for each other, including her being a cheerleader for his basketball team.
She enjoys being a twin because it’s unique and there’s someone her own age in the house.
The two will split up next year for college, but Jordan Banasiak said it isn’t a very far drive between them.
“He’s always there for me, and I’m always there for him,” she said.