HER | Doubling down on doubling up: Twins earn associate degrees before graduating high school

From left, Whitney and Britney Ankton. (Photo courtesy of Suzy Irwin/tc)
From left, Whitney and Britney Ankton. (Photo courtesy of Suzy Irwin/tc)

When twin sisters Britney and Whitney Ankton graduated from Texas High School on May 29 they did so while already having received associates degrees from Texarkana College.

Through TC's Dual Credit programs, the Ankton twins were able to get out and ahead of their college education while they were still in high school, taking college-level courses and early admission summer classes.

"These young ladies did not get out easy just because they did this in high school," said Stephanie Stokes, TC's director of Dual Credit. "Dual credit courses mirror courses taught on TC campus; rigor and student learning outcomes are equal. A DC psych class is no different than a psych class taught on TC campus."

Britney received her associates in engineering, while Whitney's is in nursing. This doubling up did not keep them from being uber-successful at Texas High. They are both members of the National Honor Society, the National Honors Spanish Society and Girls Leadership International.

They both earned awards of excellence - Britney for visual arts, and Whitney for art design and economics.

They both ran track in high school and had grade point averages above 3.5, despite the load from taking extra college courses.

"For two summers, we didn't really have a summer because we were taking classes," Whitney said.

"We maxed out last summer, and the summer before that, we did three (classes)," Britney said. "It was a toll, but we pushed through."

If this wasn't enough, they tried to get jobs in high school, but their parents wisely said no.

The twin sisters had quite the journey to Texarkana, living in three different locations before moving to the area the summer before their sophomore years in high school. They moved here from Bettendorf, Iowa, after moving there from El Paso, Texas, after living in Memphis, Tenn.

"Our dad works for the federal prison, so he would get hired for a job somewhere and move us around, which I'm thankful for because we've been able to experience different cultures and different people," Britney said. "And that's amazing because we get to see a broad perspective in life and different views of why people are the way they are. It just helped me seek to understand people."

They have slightly different motivations for their staunch educational commitment, but both mentioned their parents, Barbara and Winfred Ankton, as well as their brothers, Collin and Kristian, as motivating factors in their lives.

Whitney said she has a motto she comes back to any time she considers giving up on something.

"My faith motivates me to keep going," she said. "Sometimes, I'm just like 'I don't want to do this.' But I always tell myself that if you start something, you should finish it, no matter what."

They said people sometimes have a way of pitting one another against each other by comparing them as twins, but the way they see it, they have a symbiotic relationship.

"We've struggled at times with people pitting us against each other," Whitney said. "Even academically, someone will be like 'Oh, she's smarter than you, or you're smarter than her.' And I don't like when people say that because it's a way of tearing us down."

"We motivate each other," Britney said. "With twins, people are always comparing them. But we don't like that. People ask us that, and we don't like answering that question because we build off of each other."

They both have very drawn-out and specific goals for their futures. They both plan to attend Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri. Whitney will continue her education in nursing, while Britney pursues engineering.

Britney hopes to own her own architectural firm one day so she can build homes for people and help give them jobs to get on their feet so they can help others.

Whitney wants to be a nurse anesthetist so she can help those in need medically as quickly as possible.

"Every chance you get to get ahead in life, you should do it," Whitney said. "I'm just looking to do things that can cut my time in half and advance quicker. And that means I can help more people who need it faster. That's just my one goal, and then after that goal, I will make another one."

"That's pushed me through everything that I've done," Britney said. "If I can get advancement on my education, then I can start working towards my goals."

Upcoming Events