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The candles flickered brightly on the birthday cake. The song came to an end, and the twins glanced at each other with a smile. At the same time, they blew out the candles together. The dreaded birthday song wasn’t awkward, because seniors Brooklyn and Gracie Larson were singing to each other too.
Gaining a best friend at birth is always special, and many younger siblings can attest to what joy comes with having someone there for you from the beginning. For twins, it is a different kind of special. Both Brooklyn and Gracie agree that being a twin ensures you are never alone, which is simultaneously the best and worst part about the whole situation.
Their relationship has been for the majority one of love and positivity, with the occasional fight, but nothing that they couldn’t forgive or resolve.
Throughout their lives they have been side by side in a multitude of ways. This year they decided that student government was something they wanted to try together. Gracie is the SBO activity agent, and Brooklyn is the senior class secretary. Jumping into student government can be overwhelming with no previous experience, but both girls have had a blast so far.
“They’re pretty open kids, and willing to do stuff, and they’ve just kind of come out of their shells even more,” Austin Ison, student government advisor said. “And they’re willing to help kids, and encourage people to be more full of school spirit.”
Another similarity between the twins is their participation in the Miss Moroni program. Gracie was Miss Moroni last year, and Brooklyn is the current queen. The sisters supported each other through that experience, and that support carries into other areas of their lives as well.
For Brooklyn, when she isn’t feeling the most motivated in basketball, Gracie is always there to bring her energy up and offer encouragement.
“Before every game, Gracie and my dad will give me a pep talk to help me play better,” Brooklyn said.
Brooklyn loves basketball as well as softball, and Gracie has enjoyed getting to play golf. Both of them have played their sports throughout high school, and find happiness through connecting with the teams.
“They’re both really involved in things, even though they both dont play three sports or are in every club, they make sure to make those people who are involved feel supported,” Ison said. “They just show up for everybody. I think Gracie and Brooklyn leave a really good impression of what it means to love your school and love the people you go to school with.”
When it comes to motivation, Brooklyn and Gracie see their busy schedules as a positive part of their life, and they work hard. Between planning activities for NS, excelling in sports, and making others feel loved, there is no shortage of drive in both of them.
“There is nothing wrong with being busy in my opinion,” Gracie said. “Because it’s like, how blessed am I to have something to do? I’d rather have something to go to than just sit at home.”
Both of them love spending time with their family, which includes an older sister, golden retriever, and their parents. Many of their favorite pastimes are spent outdoors creating memories with each other. One of the memories the twins treasure is one that was slightly gross at the time they were little, but it is something to look back and laugh on.
“We had this sandbox, I shouldn’t call it a sandbox because there was no sand, it was a dirtbox. It was just a hole in the ground,” Brooklyn said. “Me and Gracie were out there digging a hole in it, and we were pretending to find treasure. I hit something with my shovel and I’m like ‘Gracie, I found something, I found something!’ and so we dig it all the way up, and it’s a dead mole.”
The fun moments of their childhood have made becoming almost-adults more difficult because of the nostalgia left behind. However, in the future they have endless plans, including exciting career ideas.
“My mom, she’s gonna retire from the elementary, and we are gonna open a flower shop together,” Gracie said. “It’s going to be called ‘Gracies Daisies’. So that’s the plan right now, it could change probably twenty more times.”
The twins don’t know if they are going to college together yet, so they don’t take for granted the moments they have left together in high school.
Both Gracie and Brooklyn hope to leave a legacy at NS that inspires students to be involved.
“Just go and have fun at games, don’t take anything too serious,” Brooklyn said. “I hope other people see that, and see like oh they had so much fun because they just went to everything and weren’t worried.”
