For these two FishHawk teens, being born twins meant they have spent a lot of time together. Matching outfits, similar interests, same high school and a drive to be the best.
For Ben and Nick Sherwin that spirit of togetherness followed them right into the Strawberry Crest IB program where the brothers excelled at academics and finished their high school years as the valedictorian and salutatorian with just a difference of .001 of a point between the two. Ben is the valedictorian with an 8.51 GPA and Nick is close behind with the 8.50. The pair are quick to admit that it was Nick’s single B in chemistry that made the difference.
The brothers will be heading up to University of Florida (UF) with full-ride scholarships after getting accepted into ‘a bunch of’ out of state schools. The brothers ultimately took the best financial decision, which also happens to be mom Tracy’s alma mater, and attend UF.
Their parents’ careers—their mom is an registered nurse and their dad Doug is a pharmacist—mean that the brothers both intend to follow up their undergrad degrees with ‘something in the medical field.’ Fun fact: both their mom and dad are also twins—mom is a fraternal twin with a twin brother and dad is an identical twin.
Mom and dad are certainly proud and Tracy said, “Being a good parent requires knowing when to push and when to back off. When to help and when to let them make mistakes and then being strong enough to let them go and soar.”
When asked during an interview with MyOspreyTV during a weekly episode what made it possible for them to get such high GPAs, Nick explained, “We took five dual enrollment classes and lots of AP and lots of honors classes which helped increase our GPA.”
The school district also hosted a press conference and the pair were interviewed by several local news stations and newspapers.
During the quarantine, the brothers have still been working on final AP exams, cleaning, working out and spending time outside. Nick and Ben credit their experiences at Bevis Elementary, Randall Middle and the IB program for helping them achieve their goals.
The boys are prepared to give their speeches in July if graduation happens or over Zoom if that becomes the delivery method.
“My one message to take away is that with all the challenges we are facing, there are also opportunities to find interests and explore them,” said Nick.
A tip from Ben is to “push yourself and challenge yourself,” and Nick suggests to work hard and find classes you are interested in.
All the best at UF boys, #gogators!
