Twin brothers named high school valedictorian and salutatorian
Devon and Dylan Lee were in orchestra class when they learned the news.
Twin brothers Devon and Dylan Lee have been together most of their lives.
So it shouldn't come as a surprise that the 17-year-old fraternal twins were together in orchestra class when they learned they had been named valedictorian and salutatorian of the Class of 2024 at Herricks High School in New Hyde Park, New York.
"We purposely did it during that class," Herricks Principal Joan Keegan told "Good Morning America." "The teacher of the class just adores them, as do all their teachers, but ... a lot of their peers who were top students were there also, so it was such a nice shining moment for the school and for the family."
The brothers are following in the footsteps of their older sister Jeylin Lee, who was Herricks' valedictorian in 2023, but the extraordinary achievements were still unexpected for the siblings.
"I was a little bit surprised because our school is pretty competitive. So I wasn't completely sure if I would be getting the recognition or not," Dylan recalled to "GMA." "We know each other's GPAs as well and his is just slightly higher. So, we knew that if I were to be salutatorian, he was definitely going to be valedictorian. But ... it was mostly a surprise for me."
The Lees' grade point averages are only 0.006 of a point apart, with Dylan earning a 4.218 and Devon coming out on top with a 4.224 GPA. Despite the slim difference, the two said they aren't too concerned about their grades overall.
"A lot of people often think that we could be very competitive with each other, being that we're twins in the same grade, taking a lot of the same classes. But really, that's actually not the case," Dylan said. "We're definitely way more supportive of each other. ... We can often study together or help each other with homework if one of us needs help, and we often hold each other accountable."
"At the end of the day, while academics are important, it should not be everything in your life," he added. "Your life should not be centered around those number grades. There's a lot more to life than that."
Aside from their studies, the twins enjoy a variety of extracurricular activities, including playing music, volleyball and running, the latter of which is Devon's proudest high school achievement.
"One of my biggest achievements was pacing a half marathon," the avid athlete said. "Pacing is [where] I'm holding up a big sign during the whole race and I'm guiding a group of people to accomplish the time that they want to finish the race, and honestly, that was a really big moment for me because it just shows how far I've [come], because I initially hated running and I was very bad at it. But it taught me a lot of discipline, and I was really able to push myself and I accomplished my goals."
Dylan, a double bass player, will head to Yale University later this year, where he plans to audition for the orchestra. Devon, a cellist, plans on attending Cornell University. It'll be a big departure for the brothers, who in about eight months will no longer see each other every single day.
"I definitely will miss him to a certain extent. It's honestly hard to imagine because we've had almost every experience of our lives together, and there aren't very many experiences that are really my own or unique to myself, because I've always shared them with him," Devon said. "But I'm also excited to see what new opportunities and experiences that I'll experience."
Herricks Principal Keegan said she knows both Devon's and Dylan's futures are bright, especially since to her, they personify "joy."
"They have a thirst for life. They have balanced all of life's ups and downs, struggles, successes. They're so poised but I think it all starts with having a joyful, compassionate heart, and it's a real credit to their family and all the individuals who've been in their life, and a credit to them. And it's going to carry them so far," she said.
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