On June 8, Commencement at Knox College was a special occasion as four sets of twins took the stage, delighting the audience with twice the pride. Avi and Arun Rajbhandari, Amelia and Willow Berg, Gabrielle and Madeline Randol, and Kamana’okekai and Meridian Lattig all graduated, joining the ranks of Knox alumni

Despite sharing a unique bond, each twin's journey is distinct, shaped by individual goals and dreams that led them to Galesburg. For these eight graduates, their college experience was enriched not only by their academic pursuits but also by the companionship and support that comes with being a twin. 

“It's nice to have someone you know to experience the same thing with you,” Amelia Berg, an environmental studies major and archeology minor, said. “We were both looking for something that wasn’t necessarily too far from home but was also close enough. We were both looking at different schools and places and ended up here. Willow committed first. I was deciding between Knox and a different school and finally committed to Knox.”

Leaving home the first time is always a challenge, but for the Berg twins, having a literal familiar face made the transition a little easier.

“It’s hard being away from everyone at home. It’s nice to have someone you can experience everything with,” Willow, an environmental studies major and history minor, said.

This doesn’t mean the twins were inseparable. The two wanted to maintain their sister bond while exploring new experiences independently. 

“When we came here as first-years, we told housing we didn’t want to live together. We don’t want to be in the same building, the same suite, or anything like that,” Amelia said. “It was nice to have our own spaces at first, but we could still see each other.”

The two even did separate study abroad programs, with Willow visiting Germany and Amelia studying in Denmark.

“We were doing it together but also not,” Willow added. “We were taking some different classes. We wouldn’t do everything together, but occasionally, we were.”

While the Berg twins opted for space, the Lattigs used their time at Knox to strengthen their lifelong bond. Although they hadn’t planned to attend school together, once Kamana’okekai found Knox, she insisted her brother join her. 

“We’ve done everything our whole lives together. We grew up in the same house. We lived in the same room our entire lives. Going to Knox made sense,” Meridian, a history major, said. “We’re from Oregon, so we’re far from home. It was nice to have someone you know in the area.”

“I found Knox first. I was looking for a theatre program. I saw that Knox had Repertory Theatre Term. I was like, ‘This is the place I want to go.' They gave me the most financial aid, so I strong-armed him into applying,” Kamana’oekai, a history and theatre double major, added. “If we’re going across the country, we might as well go together.”

The siblings have shared many experiences at Knox, living together since their first-year, owning a pair of cats, playing in the same band, and participating in similar extracurricular activities, while also having their own unique college experiences. 

“We’ve done a lot of theatre together,” Meridian said.

“I did get to direct him in a play,” Kamana’oekai said. “There was no nepotism, I swear, but it was great. He was playing the meanest character in the show, so I could yell at him to be meaner, so that was fun, but for the most part we support each other, we go to each other’s events.”

The Lattigs recognize that Commencement may be the last time they share a college experience. Next fall, they will begin graduate school on different campuses. 

“This will be the first time we’ve lived separately in our entire lives,” Meridian said. “I’m going to grad school in Chicago, she’s going to grad school in Minnesota, which isn’t too far but compared to the past 22 years of our lives, I don’t know.”

The Lattigs aren’t the only twins who have grown closer through their Knox experience. 

Avi and Arun Rajbhandari, of Katmandu, Nepal, also became more than brothers. With each other from the beginning, the duo have only grown closer during their time on campus.

“He’s like a friend to me, he’s family, college was a big challenge in itself,” Arun said. “Our study abroad experience was very challenging academically. If it wasn’t for him, I don’t think I would have made it. I didn’t feel homesick even once because I had him. I saw so many people get homesick but I had a family member.”

“Rather than just brothers, we’re friends,” Avi added. “We’ve been together every step of the way, not only at Knox, but since kindergarten, we’ve been in the same school. The craziest thing is we’re going to the same workplace after graduation.”

The Rajbhandaris did not intentionally plan to attend Knox, but fate intervened and allowed the pair to continue their educational journey together.

“I was going to take a gap year, and he was going to college,” Arun said. “We were having a sad moment because we were going to be apart, but then COVID happened, and he had to take a gap year.”

The extra year allowed each to come to Knox together. Together, both graduated with degrees in economics and mathematics as they head toward their next step, working together.

“It’s been a long journey, but I feel like it’s been worth the wait,” Avi said. “Our whole family being here is a big moment for them and us, it’s going to be great.”

Some students come to campus from afar, and a pair of Galesburg twins also enjoyed the college experience, making Knox a family affair. Gabrielle and Madeline Randol graduated together, continuing the journey they started side by side. 

“I think doing it together is the best part of it, I would say, because we’ve done it all together. To finally be at the end together is bittersweet,” Madelina, an environmental studies and public policy double major, said. “We’re both Gale Scholars so it was kind of a choice of overall, it was best financial-wise and for our families to attend Knox and be part of the program and have that extra sector of support, since both of us were in it together, it was a mutual decision that this is best for us.”

The Randols had the benefit of not only enjoying their hometown college together but also participating in programs and having a family and hometown experience. 

“I feel like this is something we’ve heard about for a long time, so to live it is special,” Gabrielle, a non-licensure education major and a double minor in history and social work, said of graduating. “We live at home with our mom, we take care of family outside of school, and we work full-time. We’re both part of TRIO, so we are involved on and off campus.”

The two were able to celebrate Commencement with family. The Randols embody the Galesburg-Knox family experience, with their involvement in Gale Scholars and the TRIO program for first-generation students. 

“They’re super excited—it’s cool,” Gabrielle said of graduating. “My aunt was discussing that we’re the first out of our entire family to be graduating, so to be the first out of the whole family to do so is a major accomplishment.”