Mansfield ISD Class of 2022 Is Seeing Double…A Lot

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Twins from Mansfield ISD together
Photo courtesy Mansfield ISD

Trading Places Is Fun When You Are Identical

The way Keaton and Avery Slimak look at it, what’s the use of being identical twins if you can’t confuse people.

So, they do just that – a lot. And they are very good at it.

“We have switched places many times, and it is so much fun!” Avery said, excitedly, almost as if she can’t wait until the next time. “We have done it at camps and even at school. It is funny to see everyone’s reactions when they find out it is really the other twin.”

But then, if one doesn’t look carefully, the graduating class of Mansfield ISD might be a little confusing to many. The district featured 35 sets of twins saying farewell to their respective high schools.

“We have no way of knowing if this is a true record because we have not kept a tally of twins in years past, but anecdotally for Mansfield ISD this is the largest number we have ever had,” said district spokesperson Lari Barager.

There’s also a set of triplets graduating, Barager said.

The siblings are spread throughout the district, with the most being at Lakeridge (16), more than twice as many as the next campus, Timberview. Legacy has five sets, along with the aforementioned triples, Mansfield High has four sets, Summit two and Early College High School one.

Twin/Triplet Event Was Eye Opening

“Being a part of this group is monumental,” said Angela Morka, valedictorian at Lake Ridge. “I always thought it was a special experience to be a twin but sharing that experience with such an astounding number or multiples is even more special.

“I’ve attended elementary, intermediate, middle, and high school in MISD, so I’ve grown up with a lot of the twins across the district. I knew there were a lot of twins at Lake Ridge High School because I see them around school often. But seeing so many green gowns at the Twin/Triplet Event at Newsom really put into perspective how many of us there actually are.”

Angela will be attending Yale in the fall to major in molecular, cellular and developmental biology, while her brother Anthony will be attending the University of Houston to study computer science. It’s a separation they knew was coming, sad but also a chance to grow on their own even more, Angela said.

“We are pretty close, so being away from each other will definitely be an adjustment. But we have spent prolonged periods of time away from each other, so we’ll be okay,” she said.

Time To Move On Without Your Other Half…

That is the case for many of the twins and the triplets, and most have said it will be difficult after being side-by-side for so long. But there is, of course, Facetime. Yet another set did admit it was “time for them to do their own thing,” Barager said.

As for the Slimaks, their time together isn’t over. They are going to attend the University of Texas in Austin together and even be roommates. Avery will major in psychology and Keaton in biology.

“We chose to both attend the University of Texas because not only did we both really want to go to the school, but it is nice to have someone there who knows you best when everything else in your life is changing,” Keaton said.

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Rick Mauch
Rick Mauch is a veteran of more than four decades in the media. He began writing in high school and immediately went into broadcasting for almost a decade after graduating, working his way to morning drive in Birmingham, Alabama. However, realizing how much he missed writing (though he did continue to do some during his time in top-40 radio), Rick returned to what he loved and has been doing it ever since. Rick's career has spanned a plethora of media outlets, including community journalism, sports, entertainment, politics and more. He's worked in print, broadcast and online media. He also spent several years doing public relations for a children's home in East Texas - still writing on the side, of course. When he's not writing, Rick loves to play golf and do Bigfoot research. He's an avid believer. He also made his first hole-in-one in June of 2020. Rick is married to Junell Mauch. They have five children and three granddaughters