A graduation ceremony at a Long Island high school this weekend is shaping up to be a double-take affair, with 15 sets of twins expected to cross the stage, receive their diplomas and mark the start of a new chapter.
Among the nearly 500 students graduating from Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School in Nassau County, 30 of them are twins.
That means approximately 6% of the graduating class consists of twin siblings — far higher than the world average. According to a 2021 study, about 3.2 million twins (or 1.6 million pairs) are born each year, making up roughly 2.3% of all births globally.
Some of the graduating sets of twins — all fraternal, not identical — have known each other since kindergarten, after their parents met through a local twins club. Overall, the 30 twins form a tight-knit group united by their shared experiences and similarities.
“Honestly, when we’re together, the room is electric,” Sydney Monka said at a graduation rehearsal earlier this week. “We all have these shared experiences, so we’re all bouncing off each other.”
After their graduation, which will take place at Hofstra University in Hempstead on Sunday, most of the twins are heading off to different colleges across the U.S.
Aiden and Chloe Manzo, however, are both attending the University of Florida to study business — though with different majors.
“We’re going to see each other a lot,” Chloe said.
“Deep down, my mom knew it would be easier if we went to the same school,” she added. “You know, like moving in, graduation, going to sports games.”
With News Wire Services
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