Brainiac twin sisters at a prestigious Catholic school in Florida have made history by graduating as the valedictorian and salutatorian of their class.
Adriana and Alyssa Lyons — valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively — earned the highest academic honors of the Academy of the Holy Names’ Class of 2026, a first in the Tampa school’s 144-year history.
“One of the greatest gifts of the academy was learning that success is never something you achieve alone,” Adriana told local outlet WTSP.
“Having my twin sister beside me throughout this journey has been incredibly special.
“We have always pushed each other to work harder, dream bigger and become better versions of ourselves,” Adriana said.
Alyssa added of her sibling, “She has always pushed me to work harder, think bigger and believe in myself even during the moments I doubted myself.
“We have spent our whole lives pushing each other to be better, and I cannot imagine this journey without her beside me.”
The twins’ success echoed back to their middle-school days where they also served as co-valedictorian and co-salutatorian of their Eighth Grade Class of 2022, school officials said.
Administrators at the all-girls academy hailed not only the sisters’ academic achievements but also their work for others, with more than 1,000 hours of community service completed by the duo.
“Adriana and Alyssa exemplify what it means to be academy women — intellectually curious, compassionate, faith-filled and committed to serving others,” Principal Jeane McNamara said.
“In addition to their extraordinary academic accomplishments, they have dedicated hundreds of hours to service, including mission work in Guatemala during their junior year.
“We are incredibly proud of them and excited to see all they accomplish next,” McNamara said.
The twins received a total about $287,000 in scholarships offers and merit awards from various colleges.
They opted to enroll in the University of Florida Honors Program to study chemistry, Holy Names officials said.
Holy Names, founded in 1881, includes a private Catholic school for boys and girls from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.
Its college preparatory high school is only for girls, with tuition for the full pre-K-12 education going for around $28,900 a year, according to the school.
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