Twins share valedictorian duties

They've taken the exact same classes and earned exactly the same 4.0 grade-point averages.

And come Saturday, identical twins Rebecca and Erin Higgs, 18, will march in unison as two of Carson High School's Class of 2004 valedictorians.

They wouldn't have it any other way.

"We're beyond glad," Rebecca said. "People tend to categorize us. If just one of us would have been valedictorian, we would have been labeled the smart twin and the dumb twin."

Along with their younger brother, Jeremy, 16, Erin and Rebecca were schooled at home from kindergarten through the eighth grade.

"We wanted to go to college desperately," Rebecca explained. "To do that, we either had to go to high school or get a GED. To me, a GED didn't look too impressive."

So, after taking a year off after completing the eighth grade, the two entered their first public school - Carson High School.

They learned quickly that grades were an important gauge of success in school.

"We'd never had grades before," Erin said. "At home, you either got an 'A' or you had to do it over again."

Both agree they will be less focused on grades once they enter the University of Nevada, Reno, where they plan to major in English.

"Getting good grades is not the same as learning," Rebecca said. "In college, I want to actually learn a lot and not just focus on grades."

Erin agreed.

"It's too much stress," she said. "I was sick for six weeks after I got my first 'B' on quarter grades."

Although they will be attending the same university and majoring in the same subject, they are reluctant to be considered identical in every way. Erin plans to minor in education, while Rebecca's choice is literature.

"It's a difficult balance," Erin said. "We want to be appreciated for ourselves. We like the same things, but we don't like to be grouped."

The two will join Janine Stone as the class valedictorians. Dean Wildman and Sarah Ragsdale are the salutatorians.

A list of graduates will appear in the Sunday edition of the Nevada Appeal.

Contact Teri Vance at tvance@nevadaappeal.com or at 881-1272.