By Emily Kelly
Managing Editor
While most siblings have distinct interests, junior twins Aga and Magda Mikolajczyk are so similar that they are sometimes referred to as one person. “They give off the impression that they are two halves that complete each other,” said Bogumila Lorenc-Mikolajczyk and Jakub Mikolajczyk, parents of the dynamic duo who share everything from future aspirations to every day outfits.
Blue sweaters one day, red hoodies the next, the twins have worn identical clothing all their lives. “There are trends like you have to wear K-Swiss. You do that because you want to be part of that group. I decided to create a group with her,” said Magda. The pattern of wearing identical outfits isn’t always easy for the twins to continue because they have very different tastes in clothing styles, which often forces sporty Magda to wear more frills than she would like or girly Aga to exchange her favorite hoop earrings for small studs. Choosing outfits is one of few topics that causes the siblings to bicker. However, they always resolve that it is important for them to continue their tradition. “I want to show others I’m very proud to have her as my sister,” said Aga.
The similar clothing brings attention to the girls who might otherwise blend in with other students. This caused problems in middle school when the twins’ individuality was not accepted. “In middle school people made fun of us,” said Magda. “We had to decide, ‘do we want to be like them or like us?’”
“We decided to show that we have our own personality and that we know who we are,” added Aga. In high school, the twins have received much more respect and understanding from their peers. “So many discriminate towards them because they’re twins and they dress the same. They’re extremely brave to come out and be their own person,” said junior Nakia Carbide.
“We often say the same thing at the same time,” said the twins in unison. In one of their classes last year, Aga and Magda got the exact same score on a test, even though they sat across the room for each other. While they have no concrete evidence, the Mikolajczyk family believes these unnatural similarities occur because Aga and Magda are telepathic. In 2001, Aga underwent heart surgery and the twins were unable to communicate with each other for a week, separated by a three hour car drive. However, they independently selected the same blue dress with pink flowers to wear when they were reunited.
The five days Aga was hospitalized was the longest the twins have ever been apart. “I cried myself to sleep every night that week because I missed her,” said Magda. They aren’t sure how they will stay together in the future, but are confident that everything will work out as it should. “We’ve always thought we’ll go to college together. I don’t think I could go far away from her,” said Magda. They both think they may become heart surgeons. “We like to joke that they want to fix sad and broken
hearts,” said Mrs. Mikolajczyk.
The twins try to help others however they can. “They are the sweetest girls I’ve ever met,” said Carbide. They are currently working towards the creation of a new club that will provide food from different parts of the world to the entire student body once a month.”Not all students have the ability to travel, and there is so much diversity in the world,” said Aga. “Lots of books show the bad in the world. We want to show the good,” she added. They also want to help people understand the importance of equality and treating everyone fairly. “Just because you’re different doesn’t mean you’re an outcast, you’re just unique. And that’s not a bad thing,” said Magda.
