This New Duke Student Has Much in Common With Her Co-Valedictorian

A future Duke student had tough competition when it came to selecting the valedictorian at her school: her twin sister.  This week, Good Morning America reported on the unusual story of identical twins Tia and Tyra Smith being selected co-valedictorians at Lindblom Math and Science Academy in West Englewood, Illinois.

Tia, who will be a member of the class of 2023, graduated with a 4.0 GPA and with 12 Advanced Placement classes, the same record as her sister Tyra, who will attend Northwestern University.

What also sets the Smith sisters apart is their history combining strong academics with award-winning creative activities. They share a love of theater and screenwriting and wrote a spec episode of “Black-ish” focusing on kidney disease as part of a community awareness campaign. The project was presented at a STEM showcase.

Tia will major in theater and statistics at Duke.  The full GMA episode can be viewed here.