Whether it is growing up wearing matching outfits, sharing every birthday or being mistaken for each other, having a twin adds plenty of interest to life experiences, especially during high school.

Emma and Zoe Dominguez are identical twins starting their sophomore year at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose. Having previously attended a smaller middle school, a large private high school was a significant change for the two of them. 

The twins did experience some mix-ups their freshman year from their classmates. “They’d be like, ‘Wait, I thought you changed outfits in the middle of the day,’ and I’m like, ‘No, that’s my twin sister,’ ” Emma said. 

While birth rates have declined in recent years, the twin birth rate was 30.1 twins per 1,000 births in 2024 compared to 33.9 in 2014 according to the National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control. That translates to 110,000 twin births in 2024. 

According to Psychology Today, the strong connection between twins is a result of a lifelong attachment, with deep nonverbal communication beginning before birth. 

For Emma and Zoe, their freshman year served as an opportunity for them to establish distinct identities. Zoe joined the jazz band at school while Emma pursued guitar lessons. 

“I feel like even though we’re both different — like I’m jazz, she’s rock when it comes to playing – it’s still something we can communicate with because we both are in music and doing something related to music,” Zoe said. 

With their freshman year behind them, the twins are looking forward to the rest of their high school journey, both together and as their own individuals. 

Forging individuality through college

That journey came to an end for Lilli and Elise Beal, fraternal twin sisters who graduated from Santa Teresa High School in San Jose. After spending their entire lives in school together, college will be an entirely different experience. 

Lilli will attend UCLA, while Elise will remain in the Bay Area at UC Berkeley. 

“It’s like an opportunity for us to make our own identity apart from one another, so I’m kind of excited for that. But it’s also gonna be interesting because I’ve never been that far from her, so I’m gonna miss her.”

— Lilli Beal, Santa Teresa High School in San Jose, fraternal twin sister

“It’s like an opportunity for us to make our own identity apart from one another, so I’m kind of excited for that. But it’s also gonna be interesting because I’ve never been that far from her, so I’m gonna miss her,” Lilli said. 

The twins said they’ll miss the small, sentimental moments. Elise remembered Lilli shade-matching her for concealer at Target, and Lilli said they are also built-in travel buddies at the airport when going on vacation.

“Lilli has done all of my makeup for pretty much every prom and homecoming for the past four years,” Elise said. 

The twins have a strong bond, but the sisters expect this new experience will be a positive one. 

“Lilli and I have always been together for everything, so it will be nice to kind of have that individuality,” Elise said. 

Lilli added that the opportunity will encourage them to branch out and make friends. 

“It’s also kind of nice because Elise can do whatever she wants and no one’s gonna compare her to me or even know me.” Lilli said.

But the twins also reflected on their relationship, acknowledging that no matter how far apart they are, their bond will never falter. 

Eliana Aguilar is a member of the class of 2027 at Valley Christian High School in San Jose. Kaitan Pawar is a member of the class of 2028 at Henry M. Gunn High School in Palo Alto. 

Editor’s note: This story is part of the annual Mosaic Journalism Program for Bay Area high school students, an intensive course in journalism. Students in the program report and photograph stories under the guidance of professional journalists.