Plainview-Old Bethpage High School graduation includes 9 sets of twins
From left, Rahul Chabria, Trisha Chabria, Justin Pinsky, Brett Pinsky, Alex Rothenberg, Robert Rothenberg, Zach Pokorny and Spencer Porkorny were among nine sets of twins that graduated on Sunday, June 29, 2014, from Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School. Credit: Tara Conry
Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School principal James Murray rattled off a list of statistics Sunday about the Class of 2014 while speaking at the school’s commencement.
He said the graduates included 13 Academic Excellence Award recipients, 15 National Merit scholars, four Siemens semifinalists, and one semifinalist from the Intel Science Talent Search.
And then there was this biological twist: the class contained nine sets of twins, and one collection of triplets. The multiples all started school together 13 years ago at the district’s Kindergarten Center, according to a school official, and have formed a special bond.
“We hang out with most of the twins in the grade,” said Alex Rothenberg, 17, of Plainview. He and his brother, Robert, are the only identical twins in the group. “We all can relate to each other.”
Two of the twins, Justin Pinsky, 18, of Plainview, and Trisha Chabria, 17, of Old Bethpage, even attended prom together.
Pinsky’s theory for the high volume of multiples in his grade: “It could have been something in the water.”
His mother, Gayle Pinsky, on the other hand, attributes it to “luck.”
Out of the 10 sets of multiples, only one, the Karimzada girls, are attending college together. Justin Pinsky is headed to Ohio State University to study computer science, while his twin, Brett, is going to the State University of New York - New Paltz for pre-med.
“It’s going to be different with people not seeing us as Pinsky No. 1 and Pinsky No. 2,” Brett said. “We’re going to be seen as our own individual people.”
Alex Rothenberg, who is bound for SUNY Oneonta, said he’s “relieved” to be separating from his twin, who is headed to the State University of New York - Albany.
Robert agreed, adding, “Seventeen years is way too much time to be with him.”
But the twosome did say they would probably visit each other often given that they’ll only be about an hour apart.
Alex admitted, “It is a little sad … You won’t really have a friend next to you all the time anymore, but it’s a new adventure.”
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