AMERICA | 17-year-old twin sisters, Carissa and Aissa Swope, have made history at Stephenson High School in Georgia after emerging as the top graduating students in the Class of 2025.
Carissa was named valedictorian, while her twin sister, Aissa, secured the position of salutatorian.
The African-American twin sisters from DeKalb County, Georgia, have always shared a special bond that pushed them to succeed. Their quiet but steady competition began early, and throughout high school, they constantly motivated each other to reach new heights.
Carissa explained that while they were competitive, their goal was not about outdoing each other, but about being the best they could be.
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“We’ve always been competitive, so it has been a race to the top, but not one and two, just the top ten percent of the class,” she said.
”Now, standing side by side as the top two students of their class, both girls say they feel deeply blessed. “It’s a blessing, and I’m really excited,” Carissa added. Their journey to the top was not without its challenges.
As daughters of deaf parents, the twins had responsibilities beyond academics. From a young age, they acted as interpreters for their parents, especially during important school events and conferences, and that experience shaped them.
“It’s been a long journey. We’ve always wanted to show people that we can do things, that we’re smart. I feel like people might have underestimated us because our parents are deaf. It’s just nice to get that recognition,” Aissa said.
Even during difficult times, they stayed motivated by leaning on each other. Aissa admitted that she might not have reached the salutatorian spot if not for Carissa’s encouragement when school felt overwhelming.
“She’s been my biggest motivator,” she said. Hearing those words, Carissa was moved and shared that Aissa had always been a source of strength for her, too.
Back in elementary school, their parents made sure the girls were placed in different classrooms to avoid too much competition. But in high school, the twins decided to take the same classes, and side by side, they maintained straight A’s.
The Swope sisters’ academic excellence has now earned them admission into Emory University.
Carissa plans to study neuroscience and behavioral biology. She dreams of becoming a family medicine doctor with a mission to make healthcare more accessible to people like her parents.
“I’ve always wanted to open up my practice and have it be accessible. My parents would often be left waiting at doctor appointments or not have an interpreter,” Carissa said.
Aissa, on the other hand, will major in biology and hopes to become an anesthesiologist. Both sisters are excited for the next chapter of their lives and look forward to continuing their journey together.
“When life gets tough, we can always cry it out together and get through it together,” Carissa said. There’s always someone to bounce ideas off of and see the right path for us,” Aissa added.
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