What does it mean to be a twin?
If you ask Anna and Frances English, seniors and fraternal twin sisters at the Upper Campus this year, it means sharing a tight relationship where they always look out for each other.
“We have always been best friends,” said Frances. “ I know I’ll never connect and be as close to anyone as I am with her. She seriously was made to be my best friend.”
Their matching positive energy and humor are contagious.
The four pairs of twins at Ojai Valley School have their differences and similarities.
About 1 in 250 people are twins. Ojai Valley School challenges these odds, as there are many twins walking around campus. There are three sets of fraternal twins and one set of identical twins.
Attending a small school and having such a high population of student twins is that everyone knows them as a pair. This definitely has its upsides, as many of the twins have expressed, but it has its downsides, too.
For the singular pair of identical twins at Ojai Valley School, sophomores Darian and Leroy Shen, there are a couple of things that they have found challenging about their dynamic.
“There are so many people who seem to mix us up,” said Darian. “Or call us the wrong name.”
As frustrating as this is for them, as they are constantly being referred to as the other, resulting in confusion for both, they don’t let this separate their bond at all.
It is rare to see the two ever apart, as they really enjoy spending time together and have very similar interests.
“During our free time our favorite thing is to play games,” said Leroy. “And take photos together.”
Darien and Leroy demonstrate such a strong brotherly bond that fellow students are also able to agree with, as the twins are constantly chatting with each other in between classes, on weekends, and on camping trips.
As closely as Anna and Frances’ personalities match, both sisters express their differences.
“Frances is more organized,” said Anna. “I feel like she really looks out for me and keeps me organized. She always makes sure I’m okay.”
Being siblings, continuously going to the same school, seeing life through similar eyes, and growing up in the same environment, it is natural to have the same friend group, too. Struggles can arise from this, but the two know that they always have each other’s back.
“It’s hard with friends because if she’s in a fight with someone I always have to be a part of it,” said Frances.
The sisters are never alone, as they share a deep connection level that no one else around them can reach. They understand each other so naturally: “Anna can give a subtle look, and I know exactly what she’s thinking,” said Frances.
Anna and Frances always support each other, and their close-knit relationship will forever be different from any friendship.
“I am always making sure Anna has everything she needs while she stands up for me and makes sure I am making the right choices,” said Frances.
Despite minute differences in times of birth, feeling like an “older” sibling is not uncommon for twins.
“My sister says that she feels more mature because she was born a minute before me, but I don’t think so,” said Andrew Radford, a freshman at Ojai Valley School.
These twins, freshmen Samantha and Andrew Radford, are new to the upper campus this year and have always been there for each other.
“It’s kind of like having a built-in person, in case something bad happens. Someone is always there for you,” said Sam.
The final pair of twins at Ojai Valley School, seniors William and Elizabeth Ramsay, share a really special bond, a friendship that experienced life through the same situations.
Comparison can be challenging for twins, as they really are their own person. Academically, there are assumptions that one is doing better than the other, but if they were just siblings of an age difference, this comparison would not be as strong.
“People will compare us, for example, teachers will evaluate us as nonindividuals, such as the different ways we learn,” said Frances.
As frustrating as this can be, they have a high level of understanding for one another, and they can relate to the same issues.
“My favorite part about being a twin is I always have someone that knows me and always has my back,” said Elizabeth. “We can trust each other and we feel the same way about a lot of things.”
For William, there aren’t really any twin-specific problems apart from one thing.
“Whenever I have snacks and food, it just disappears man,” said William. “I go home and open the fridge and poof, nothing there.”
Editor’s note: it’s the other way around!
William and Elizabeth may seem very different from each other, as they have differing interests, but their bonding time is never cut short.
“I feel totally comfortable telling him literally everything,” said Elizabeth. “We go on walks together and catch up on each other’s lives.”
Twins aren’t the same person, but their friendship and love for one another are what make them so close. The sets of twins at Ojai Valley School prove that twin stereotypes aren’t always true, either. These twins all have their own individual personalities and are such positive people to be around. Their sibling bonds are beacons of positivity for the school, and the students are so lucky to have four sets of these close friendships that can never be broken.