Upper St. Clair High School senior class has 16 sets of twins
One might do a double-take looking at the list of seniors at Upper St. Clair High School.
There are 16 sets of twins in the 2026 graduating class — roughly one in every 10 members of the 299 students is a twin.
Thursday is doubly special as it is National Twin Day.
The school hosted a twins’ event where all students were invited to pair up with a classmate and dress as twins.
“It’s pretty remarkable,” said Brooke Tarcson, head of student activities. “You can walk through the halls and almost always spot at least one set of twins. It’s been a fun part of this class’s identity. We’ve had years with multiple twins before. But this might be a record.”
The students are Finnegan and Noah Baird, Gianna and Nico D’Orazio, Lucy and Samuel Dowds, Holt and Mika Eberhardt, Mia and Nico Galardini, Anand and Devesh Jani, Jacob and Olivia Leggat, Ethan and Isaac Lin, Aina and Airi Nagata, James and John Paradise, Carson and Cooper Rackley, Adriana and Andrea Rodriguez, Caden and Nolan Sarkett, Ella and Hannah Schlecker, Eleanor and Lillian Simons, and Ella and John Unice.
“It’s always cool to have someone that you’ve grown up with who is always in the same stage at school and in sports,” said Cooper Rackley. “It is great having somebody within your own house that is always there for you.”
His twin, Carson, said there’s always someone to go through the ups and downs with and share in celebrating the big achievements, like when Cooper committed to play lacrosse at Canisius University in Buffalo, N.Y.
“I get excited about what he does and I assume he gets excited about achievements that I get,” said Carson, who is a volunteer firefighter with Upper St. Clair. “It is great to grow up with somebody your own age.”
For these sets of twins, many will spend time apart for the first time in their lives, following different paths after graduation.
Carson and Cooper remember wearing the same striped shirts, only in different colors, in kindergarten. Once they got older and dressed themselves, if they chose the same hoodie without knowing what the other was choosing, it would make them laugh.
When asked about a telepathy connection between twins, they said their personalities are different, which comes through in their post-high school plans, the 18-year-olds said. Carson said sometimes they are together on the weekends with the same friends and sometimes they are with their own friend group.
Nico and Gianna D’Orazio, 18, have different friends but also bring each other’s friends together, Gianna said.
“It is also just cool to have somebody who is going through the same experiences as you, especially in high school with classes and all that high school stuff,” Gianna said.
It was Gianna who realized there were so many twins in the class.
“When we were in elementary school, there were quite a few in our grade,” Gianna said. “And as we combined schools in high school, we realized this was prominent and I recognized a lot of the same last name, so I made a list in my phone.”
Nico D’Orazio said he thinks it’s cool to have a twin to share a lot of the same things, but that they also branch out into different activities.
The two have some classes together. The twins said they appreciate their parents and realize it isn’t easy raising two babies at the same time. Cooper and Carson recalled their mom taking them to the dealership where their father worked in sales and the boys would run in different directions.
Most of the twins in this class are fraternal.
All of the twins definitely are their own person, Tarcson said. Many have chosen different paths after high school.
Nico D’Orazio is going to Brown University to play football. His sister is looking at schools in the south and on the West Coast. Gianna was crowned homecoming queen and her brother recorded two interceptions to help lead the Panthers to a 50–14 victory over South Fayette during the homecoming game.
“The way USC’s community and culture come together on Fridays is truly something special,” said Gianna, who is vice-president of the senior class. “It was so cool to share the experience with Nico as he played football and I cheered him on as a member of the dance team.”
Gianna said they also have different interests that allow them to express themselves separately.
Lily Simons said her favorite memory was the first day of freshman year together.
”We were starting something new and big together and were both nervous. I think that moment brought us closer,” Lily Simons said. “Stay by each other — having a twin will be the best gift.”
Several twins have teamed up on the athletic field, such as Caden and Nolan Sarkett and Ella and John Unice. Caden recommends that younger twins take similar classes while also trying out different things.
“That way you always have a study partner … but you’re also exposing yourself to unique experiences that contribute to personal development,” Caden said.
“It’s rewarding to go through stages of life with a twin and celebrate each other’s accomplishments,” Carson said. “Stick together, navigate your battles as a duo, and cherish your laughs and hard times … because it flies by fast.”
Tarcson said the twins don’t usually travel in pairs. The school has an Instagram account where students can post photos of themselves dressed as twins.
She is planning a group photo on graduation day — June 4, 2026.
“We will take that picture before they get their diplomas,” she said. “Because after that, they will be heading in different directions and I won’t be able to catch them all.”
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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