For the first time in the school district’s history, Hidalgo Early College High School will graduate three pairs of twins in the top 10% for the class of 2021.
“It’s a rare enough occurrence to have three pairs of twins in a graduating class alone, but for all 3 pairs to be graduating in the top 10% is something that has never happened in the history of Hidalgo ISD,” Daniel Guerra, communications media specialist for Hidalgo ISD, said in a statement he released.
Given the difficult year that the district and students across the nation experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this rare occurrence stands out amid the chaos.
The trio of twins begins with Ammy and Sheila Sanchez, who respectively earned 3rd (Ammy) and 5th (Sheila) in class rankings.
They both said they attribute their success to their parents who always encouraged them to try their hardest and go the extra mile “because education is the most important thing.”
“I owe everything to God and my parents, and I am beyond grateful to them for everything they’ve done for me and my sister,” Sheila said.
Throughout their high school years, the Sanchez twins said they both used their strengths to aid and guide each other.
“We helped each other a lot,” Ammy said. “I feel like that’s why we’re so high up in the rankings because while one was good at one subject, the other was good at the other subject and we helped each other. It was never really a competition.”
The Sanchez twins describe their relationship as special and unique. They said they truly have a connection and plan to continue pursuing their academic journey together at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Ammy plans to major in nursing, while Sheila plans to major in business.
Nibia Sanchez, the twins’ mother, said she is extremely proud of her girls and is excited for the next chapter in their lives.
Ranked 11th and 19th in their graduating class, Orlando and Rolando Sandoval had a similar relationship when it came to their academics.
“We worked on everything together,” Orlando said. “We always had the same classes and we joined the same activities. Like, we did baseball together and we did band together.”
The Sandoval twins said they grew up with the positive influences of their older siblings who encouraged them to aim high and stay focused on their school work.
“They always motivated me to be better than myself and them, and they kept me on top of my grades,” Rolando said about his siblings.
The pair is part of the first generation in their family along with their elder brothers and sisters to graduate from high school.
Jose Juan Sandoval, the twins father, said he is extremely proud of his sons and looks forward to having more engineers in the family.
In the fall, the twins plan to room together at Texas A&M University College Station where they will both study engineering.
Rolando plans to study mechanical engineering and Orlando aspires to study aerospace engineering.
The Sandoval twins have now added to the legacy that their older siblings helped establish by ranking at the top of their class as well.
“I owe everything to them and I will always be thankful for that,” Orlando said about his family.
Asked what the greatest challenge throughout their high school years was, the Sandoval twins replied that living in Reynosa and having to cross everyday to get to school on time was difficult and draining.
The twins lived in Reynosa for the majority of high school, with the exception of their senior year, and said the hardest part about it was waking up early and getting home late.
Lupita and Maria Aguilar, who respectively earned 23rd (Maria) and 24th (Lupita) in the class rankings, are the last set of twins but certainly not the least.
The Aguilar twins moved to the United States during their freshman year of high school, leaving behind their family for a quality education.
They spent their first year in the Plato program (a credit recovery program) which did not count towards their rank in competing for a top 10% spot.
However, despite their adversity, the Aguilar twins were able to prevail.
Asked how it felt to make history for her district, Lupita replied, “I feel really proud because being part of the top 10% was never one of my goals because it seemed impossible. … We knew we were at a disadvantage compared to the other students. So it felt impossible, but at the end of the day we did it and it makes me feel very proud of my sister and of myself.”
She said it seemed impossible because of the language barrier and the emotional strain she and her sister experienced from being apart from the rest of their family.
“Being away from them made a huge impact on us and it was very difficult to be away from them, but we used that like our motivation to really work hard and justify why we were away from our family,” Lupita said.
The twins said they were not going to let their separation from their family go in vain. They wanted to make the most of it to make their parents proud.
Asked who she attributes her success to, Lupita replied that she thanks her twin sister.
“There were times when we were really sad and wanted to come back to Mexico with my mom and my dad, but we supported each other and motivated each other,” Maria said. “We knew that if we stayed together we could do something good.”
The Aguilar twins said they did not help each other academically, but rather emotionally.
“She’s always helping me and supporting me in everything I do and she is everything to me,” Maria said about her twin. “We are always trying to help each other and make each other feel better.”
While the language barrier and separation was difficult for the twins, they both said that they are grateful for their experience at Hidalgo Early College High School.
“I’m thankful to my parents because they gave me the chance to experience a completely different world,” Maria said. “Thanks to this opportunity now I know what I am capable of doing. I know that I can achieve a lot and that makes me feel very proud of myself and my sister.”
The twins also plan on attending UT Rio Grande Valley together in the fall and major in Spanish.
“Thank you for always being there by my side,” Lupita told her sister. “I know that there will be a lot more accomplishments that we will have together.”
The twins are grateful for the sacrifices their parents made to give them a quality education in the U.S. and said their only goal is to make them proud.
Norma Angelica Aguilar, the twins’ mother, said she is proud of her girls and wants them to keep pushing forward and find a career that they will love.
Editor’s note: This post has been updated to correct a last name.
