Talented Twins Accepted Into Over 38 Colleges With $1M in Scholarships, Choose Local Nursing School

Illustration - fizkes/Shutterstock

Twin sisters Arianna and Arielle Williams, of Milwaukee, have amassed an impressive 38 university acceptance letters and over $1 million in academic scholarships. The teens then turned heads a second time by opting to study nursing in their home state of Wisconsin.

“Honestly, we were pushing for 40 college acceptances,” Arianna told TMJ4, “but we ended up getting like 37. I was like, ‘Oh man,’ but we still did good.”

Arianna and Arielle, seniors at Dr. Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy in Milwaukee, graduated from the class of 2020 in first and second places respectively. At the time of writing, the twins are waiting on confirmation of their positions as valedictorian and salutatorian of their school.

“We never wanted to do the basic,” Arianna told WDJT. “We always wanted to go above and do beyond that.” Her sister described the pair as “overachievers.”

Dr. Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy requires their students to apply to at least three universities; true to their reputation, the twins went above and beyond.

“I said I wanted to do 30,” Arianna explained. “I even applied to schools in Alaska. I’m not going there, but why not?”

“We were thinking about Benedict [College],” she added, “we got a full ride there but they didn’t have our major.”

Arianna and Arielle share the same ambition: to study nursing. They decided, together, to pursue their chosen career close to home by enrolling at Marquette University in Wisconsin.

“Tuition is pretty much covered there,” Arianna explained. “We got accepted into the EOP [Educational Opportunity Program] and directly into the nursing program.”

The school valedictorian, Arianna added that her academic ambitions are by no means fulfilled. “This is not really a completion for me,” she said. “I’m just getting started.”

Arielle added that she feels “partially relieved” by the sisters’ joint decision to study in Wisconsin.

Dr. Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy in Milwaukee, Wisconsin Screenshot/Google Maps

According to People, Arianna and Arielle will be first-generation college students. But while they are both ambitious, they are not competitive with one another. “I honestly have two chances of winning, either through me or my sister,” said Arianna, “so it’s like either one of us is fine with me.”

The twins admitted that graduating top of their class didn’t come easy, but they both hope their success motivates other students to persevere through all manner of setbacks. The sisters’ efforts have made their high school proud.

“We couldn’t be more proud of their growth, choices, and their ability to persevere with joy in the face of obstacles,” Judith Parker, the principle of Dr. Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy, told the news media.

During their school career, Parker added, the twins traveled widely, organized community service projects, and represented the school both on-site and throughout the city of Milwaukee. “We are proud of them and the entire Class of 2020,” Parker said, “and excited for the next chapter in their lives as they take this same drive to college.”

According to WDJT, nursing runs in the Williams sisters’ family. Arianna and Arielle’s chosen program is scheduled to commence in fall 2020.

Arianna reflected on the positive attitude that has facilitated her own and Arielle’s successes to date. “[A]ccept your failures,” she said. “Just come back harder. Do the most! Do the most and go above and beyond.”

Speaking to TMJ4, Arielle added, “You can do anything you want to do as long as you put your mind to it.”