They’ve held down jobs. They’re graduating as valedictorian and salutatorian. And now, twins from New York can check admission to Yale University off their lists.
Gloria Guerrier and Victoria Guerrier, 17, are graduating at the top of their class at West Hempstead Secondary School, the school announced this month.
Both track, cross country and volleyball athletes, the sisters competed at the New Balance National Championships during their junior year and received athletic awards too.
Throughout their academic careers, the young women took courses including physics and computer science, never earning lower than a perfect 100 on their transcript, the school said.
Gloria graduated valedictorian with a 105.3 grade point average, while Victoria graduated salutatorian with a grade point average of 104.9, the school said.
“We’ve been working for this since ninth grade and we dreamed of this moment, but it actually coming into fruition and happening, it just feels so unreal,” said Victoria.
Her sister Gloria said it feels “gratifying and amazing” to have her hard work come together.
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Collaborating with government officials
The sisters have racked up quite a few accolades during their academic careers, including a research presentation they co-authored with the Food and Drug Administration.
They entered a Samsung contest during their sophomore year where students have to find solutions to real-life problems. The sisters focused on how disposable masks are not biodegradable.
“We decided to create our own masks that were biodegradable, effective against the COVID-19 droplets and also cost-effective,” Gloria said. “After that whole project … researchers from the FDA and the National Institute of Standards and Technology reached out to us and wanted to (turn) our research projects into a larger case study.”
The sisters also won $15,000 for their school’s science department, which helped to buy laptops and new science materials for students, Victoria said.
Life outside of academia
When the sisters aren’t hitting the books or the track, they’re trying protein-rich recipes or checking out new releases on Netflix.
Their accomplishments on the track stand out for each – for Victoria, it was unexpectedly winning an 800-meter race and for Gloria, it was taking home a state title in hurdles – but they’re also part of the school’s orchestra.
Victoria plays the cello and Gloria plays the viola. Their sisters play instruments as well, so they’ve been able to form an “informal quartet,” they said.
They also help out at home and doing so was a huge part of a balancing act they had to master in school.
Their father has a condition that has slowly paralyzed his body. They’ve had to help take care of him and support each other throughout the process.
“We had to learn how to split the work, take on extra household chores, and also how to be there emotionally for each other,” Victoria said.
Their father also inspired them because he grew up impoverished in Haiti. He was able to get a scholarship through the Salvation Army and study at Clemson University.
“He achieved so much in America and his story really taught me how to work hard and to value education,” Gloria said.
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757 – and loves all things horror, witches, Christmas, and food. Follow her on Twitter at @Saleen_Martin or email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.