Florida twins named joint runner-up after graduating with 9.12 GPA
Identical twins from Tampa, Florida, graduated with a consistent grade point average with excellent GPA, earning them the title of fellow runner-up.
Alex and Dane Deevers, 18, graduated from Wharton High School with the highest 9.12 GPA after taking Advanced Placement classes. Their mother, Stephanie Deevers, said they also take dual enrollment classes at Hillsborough Community College.
The valedictorian, Sonya Patel, graduated with a 9.40 GPA, school district spokeswoman Erin Maloney said.
Students in the Hillsborough County School District were able to take more difficult classes and achieve overall GPA, Maloney said.
For each AP class, students add 0.8 per semester to their GPA. For honors classes, they receive an additional 0.04 per semester.
“For twins to get such a high GPA, they have to start advanced classes before high school and even take more than one full class each year, including during the summer… and scored well on all of them,” Maloney told USA TODAY.
Their mother said she remembers them taking classes during the summer, right before ninth grade.
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Both plan to go to the University of Florida. Alex wants to be a doctor, while Dane wants to study engineering and physics, their mother said.
“I always say they’re paddle boats and they’ve all learned to row in the same direction,” she said.
The twins’ mother said they tutored and juggled a variety of sports. Alex is the captain of the swimming team, while Dane is the captain of the athletics team, she said.
The boys have now completed their schoolwork, but during the school year, the school day starts early for them.
“They wake up at 5 a.m. for swimming lessons, take six AP courses plus college courses, practice lacrosse until 11 and study until 1 a.m.,” she said. “Just watching later, I was exhausted, but they were still having fun. They never complained. They just did it.”
When not studying, they exercise at the gym, trying to stay healthy.
“Dane is a great athlete,” their mother said. “He showed up at some point running 6 to 10 miles a day.”
Wharton High School principal Michael Rowan called the twins “well-rounded”.
“They are academically gifted, but more importantly, act as leaders in our school every day,” he wrote in a statement to USA TODAY. “We’re excited to see them grow together in college and beyond.”
Saleen Martin is a reporter for USA TODAY team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia, and loves all things horror, witchcraft, Christmas, and food.
Saleen Martin, [email protected]Twitter: @Saleen_Martin