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There’s something in the water at Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School.
That’s because the Class of 2025 includes 15 sets of twins, all walking across the graduation stage together this Saturday, June 21. This far eclipses the 11 sets out of Sayville that GLI reported on in 2023.
And even the national media is taking notice.
The sheer number has caught the attention of several major media outlets, including The Today Show and People Magazine.
“I have been emailing places for about a year now sharing the story, hoping they thought it was newsworthy,” said Debbie Manzo, mom of twins Chloe and Aiden. “It has been so special, exceeding my expectations.”
At first, the siblings didn’t think much of it.
“We didn’t get it at first,” said Aiden. “Then, when our family and other friends started to see the coverage, we realized how special this was.”
“Our parents get texts all the time, even from outside of the area, saying they saw us on TV,” Chloe added.
“It’s a great high school memory.”
Twin power
With so much attention, the twins took matters into their own hands — and started a group chat.
“The twin girls — because we know that we’re going to have to take charge — made a group chat,” Sydney Monka told Newsday last week. “We’ll be like, ‘Hey guys, we have this going on. What are we wearing? Make sure to tell your twin.’”
Even with so many sets of twins in the same class, many didn’t realize how rare the situation was until the moms got to counting.
“We are friends with a lot of them, but we never counted until our mom and a few of the other twin moms took a count,” Chloe said. “We were like, what?”
“I am close friends with a few of the sets,” Debbie added. “They’ve known each other since birth, diapers or nursery school. Then, as the years went on, hearing about more, it was pretty cool. It became a fun game to start counting.”
She said the surprises started long before graduation day.
“When we found out we were having twins, we were flabbergasted,” Debbie said. “It was the best news ever. We told our family on Mother’s Day that year.”
Built-in best friends
Chloe and Aiden say there are certainly perks to being a twin.
“Growing up, you had a built-in play date,” Chloe said. “As you get older, it’s nice to have that person, outside of your parents and friends, who is going through things at the same time as you.”
The biggest misconception?
“That we do everything together and we have the same likes and dislikes,” Aiden said. “We are just two siblings born on the same day.”
“When we were babies, you don’t know how many people asked my parents if we’re identical,” Chloe said. “They found it pretty funny. I think it’s just a natural twin question to ask.”
This fall, Chloe and Aiden will both attend the University of Florida after spending the summer working at a camp.
Other twin duos in the class include Sydney and Benjamin Monka, Emily and Amanda Brake, Liam and Emma Heaney, Kayla and Emma Leibowitz, Derek and Chase Herzog, Kayla and Sydney Jasser, Joshua and Rebecca Lipetz, and Josh and Rebeccah Grossfeld — all fraternal.
Principal Heather Dvorak said the twins helped shape the spirit of the entire class.
“Each class has their own unique culture and vibe,” Dvorak told Newsday. “This year, I knew coming in that they were gonna be very unified. They just had this sense of community and pride.”
All 30 twins will graduate on June 22, along with their 417 other classmates.
Top: Chloe and Aiden Manzo. Family courtesy photo/The Today Show.
