By Sarah and Hannah Graveline '25
“With a twin, every day is a shared adventure.” This anonymous quote rings true for our lives and our adventures at Tower Hill.
Until the fifth grade, we had most of our experiences together, but we had unique perceptions of our shared life events. At Tower Hill, we were intentionally separated in classes—until the schedulers in high school were left with few options and conceded. The separation allowed us opportunities to explore who we are as individuals while also providing us with joint activities to keep our close connection.
Twins truly have a special bond. We still amaze our parents when one of us can discern words from the other’s incomprehensible mumblings or finish each other’s sentences. In spite of our bond, we are two very distinct people with varied interests, social interactions and lifestyle choices. The environment at Tower Hill created opportunities for us to evolve into the individuals we are while providing the support and community we needed.
SARAH
As an introvert, I prefer to listen more than speak, as all my teachers can attest. I believe there are other ways to contribute, with quiet leadership from behind the scenes. My focus has always been on exploring science and art classes, playing 12 varsity sports and supporting the teams and clubs I joined. Ever since receiving my first exploding volcano kit, I have been hooked on the sciences. Biology and chemistry were fine, but the Tower Hill physics program became my passion. The curriculum, class discussions and lab work in Mr. Hoch’s classes have prepared me well for college-level problem solving, and the experience solidified my decision to major in engineering. In ceramics class, I loved that I had the freedom to design an intricately detailed koala bear, and although Mrs. Patterson had some legitimate concerns about the amount of work, she supported me through the weeks-long project. These opportunities are just two examples of extraordinary teacher support, in two seemingly dissimilar subjects, that have empowered me to become a scientist who longs to design and create as an engineer. I am grateful to have been accepted into the University of Delaware’s Honors College and engineering program. I feel confident that the rigorous curriculum at Tower Hill has prepared me for the challenging engineering course load to come. The time outside of the classroom is just as important to me, too. My involvement in field hockey, basketball and soccer at Tower Hill resulted in hard practices, but great times, regardless of a win or loss, and have given me priceless memories of friends and competitors. Tower Hill has taught me to balance the academic, athletic and social aspects of life—a skill that I will carry with me through college and my adult life.
HANNAH
I pursued my passions on a slightly different path and was also supported in the Tower Hill environment. I immersed myself in the humanities—government, history and Spanish. I loved participating in any classroom discussion, even if it became a heated debate. As a member of Tower Hill’s Model United Nations program, I loved the trips, projects and debates. My lifelong dream has been to attend college in a large city, so I can experience the energetic atmosphere and cultural diversity of activities and restaurants within steps of campus. The rigorous curriculum at Tower Hill has prepared me to attend the Wharton School this fall, where I will major in Finance and minor in Spanish (sending special love to Ms. Pallant for all her encouragement). My goal is to work in international finance, where I can combine a career with my love of travel. Until then, I’ll enjoy travelling as a member of Penn’s softball team. Although I played my favorite sport of softball outside of Tower Hill, I have loved being part of the intense competition on the Tower Hill basketball team and cheering my friends in their sports competitions, too.
Following our distinct paths does not mean we led completely separate lives. We enjoyed many shared activities and loved to compare notes on the daily. Together, we were members of the Global Scholars Program, played basketball (along with our sister Rachel ’23!), traveled to Spain and Martinique on school trips, and shared morning drive duties. Every nightly dinner, whether at home or on the road, we revisited classroom content, told stories of lab experiments (successful or otherwise) and we always had stories to tell about our friends’ antics at the lunch table.
Through the trials and challenges of our years at Tower Hill, the most memorable events are found in friendship. Our friends are the light that guides us through challenges—with panicked tall tales about failing a test (which were later debunked by great grades), salty stories of bad referee calls (whether real or perceived), intense strategies to plan weekend events or simply hearing multiple witness accounts of the classroom controversy of the day. It was all done with joy.
In retrospect, we are forever grateful for the phenomenal education we received at Tower Hill, as it has set us on distinct but promising courses in life. The teachers, who lead by example, taught us how to become critical thinkers. The lifelong friendships we have made are priceless, and the overall positive impact that Tower Hill has had on our lives and character is immeasurable. As challenging as the curriculum and schedule may have been at times, we believe Tower Hill was the best environment for us, both individually and together. This August, for the first time, we will be separated from each other. Although one of us will be in the cozy town of Newark and the other in the bustling city of Philadelphia, we look forward to joining each other again, with our Tower Hill family, for the first of many Homecomings at our beloved alma mater.
