By: Charlotte Brown
Siblings, the people you spend your childhood years growing and maturing with, but imagine being with that person 24/7, through every step of life.
Growing up with a twin, and being with that person every second of every day. Being in the same grade, getting compared to one another, having to share everything and always being forced to get along. It comes with positives and negatives.
At Redwood High School, this is the reality for many students. Mayce and Ethan Gutierrez ‘27, Emily and Wyatt Dean ‘26, Miley and Madden Macleoud ‘25, and Logan and Troy Gross ‘24 are all sets of twins who share their experiences through every aspect of life.
Being a Freshman can be very nerve-racking but these two constantly have someone that will always be by their side. Mayce and Ethan Gutierrez, ‘27, share their thoughts on twin experiences, the good and the bad.
Mayce says, “Being a twin is really fun, but there are definitely positives and negatives that come with it. The best thing about it is the fact that I get to learn all of the guy drama and get to know the drama from that friend group and vice versa with him.”
Ethan says that having a twin is nice because he never feels alone and always has someone to talk to.
“The worst thing about being a twin is always being recognized as that person’s twin. It’s almost like only being known as a twin sometimes,” says Ethan.
Both Mayce and Ethan recall when they were younger and would teach each other new skills and would talk in their own baby language. Ethan says that just seeing the videos of him and his sister make him happy and grateful he has a twin.
Emily and Wyatt Dean, ‘26, are Sophomores and are getting to fully experience what going through their high school years is like with a twin.
Emily says, “Being a twin is kinda weird, especially because I forget half the time until I get home and see him.”
Having that best friend growing up 24/7 can help build a unique perspective and connection. She says, “I do have a special bond with Wyatt, not like twin telepathy, but I just like to talk to him about stuff.”
Wyatt shares that having a twin is more beneficial then he would imagine not having one because there is always somebody there for you.
He says, “I definitely do think I have a strong connection with her, I mean we grew up together and went through and did the same things.”
Miley and Madden Macleoud, ‘25, are Juniors and are pushing towards the end of High School together. The two share how being a twin has impacted their experiences.
Miley says, “I don’t mind being a twin, but honestly sometimes I wish I had my own birthday. But,
the best thing about being a twin is telling people I have a twin. They won’t believe me, especially because he’s a different gender.”
Madden says that having a twin is enjoyable because he has someone who goes through the same things as him throughout both their school and personal lives.
“It definitely brings competition into our lives, especially because we do the same sports so they’ll always compare us,” says Madden.
Troy and Logan Gross, ‘24, are Seniors at Redwood High School who are ending their 12-year journey through their education together and will open a new chapter in their lives at the end of this school year.
Since they are identical twins, they both have fun identical stories to share. Logan says that when they both had a sub in a class they changed spots so the sub would not know the difference and it created a memory that he will remember forever.
Logan says “Troy is going to go to lineman school and I will probably stay here and do welding so our career paths are different but we will still see each other a lot, so I am happy.”
Troy Gross says, “It’s really nice having a twin because if I ever need him to step in my place he can, and I always have someone to talk with.”
He adds, “Being a twin is really fun and it can get confusing sometimes because we are identical, but overall I think it’s really exciting.”
Being around the same person for most of someone’s life can build a close personal bond that only continues to grow. Based on these student’s experiences, the world of twins is both cursed and blessed with ups and downs.
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