Some things just come in pairs; like Reese’s peanut butter cups, pop tarts, shoes, gloves and twins.
Michelle and Jennifer Rose, ’08, are the talk of the campus: freshman identical twins. Yet, even though everybody knows them, no one really knows what it is like to be a twin. In fact, most cannot even tell them apart.
“Many people are confused when trying to identify us,” Jennifer said. “That often results in them just giving up. In some cases, teachers have invented seating charts for the whole class; just to tell us apart.”
Born in Redondo Beach, CA, Michelle and Jennifer moved to Fresno a few years after their births. They started attending Fresno Christian their sixth grade year.
“At first, getting used to this campus was difficult,” Michelle said. “But, after awhile, we came to like the school, and now we appreciate what it has to offer.”
Like anything else, being a twin has as both advantages and disadvantages. Having to share a room, receiving the same presents at holidays and both getting into trouble when only one is responsible make life as a twin somewhat less than extraordinary at times.
“The worse thing about being a twin is being referred to as twin, as if we are one person,” Michelle said. “But, it is great to have someone in similar activities to be there for you and to do stuff with.”
From a young age, their leisure time was spent outdoors. Michelle and Jennifer are now on the varsity soccer team.
“We played soccer in kindergarten,” Jennifer said. “Ever since then we have been involved in sports; it is horrible to be cooped up in doors.”
In typical high school life things get around campus. This time the rumor mill involves Michelle and Jennifer because they went to the Night of the Stars [NOTS] with Coleton Hutchins, ’08.
“It started one fateful day at soccer practice,” Hutchins said. “We were going about our usual business, stretching and so forth. The coach asked the team who each person was taking to the Night of the Stars.”
Hutchins answered “no one”. Someone jokingly asked why he was not taking the twins; he shrugged it off. After that, they continued to prod and persuade him, until he came to the conclusion that perhaps, it would be fun.
From Michelle and Jennifer’s view, the story is basically the same.
“Similar to what Coleton went through, our teammates said we should go with him because it would be cool,” Michelle said. “We have known him since sixth grade, and he is one of our friends. So we decided ?why not go with him’.”
Life as a twin, with all its ups and downs, will forever be a mystery for most students but for the twins, having a constant counterpart brings security to life.
“Looking back over my past fourteen years of life, I would not change being a twin for anything this world has to offer,” Jennifer said. “My sister is a part of me. Even if only hard times are to come, it will be fine, because I have someone to be beside me.”
