Sisters from Pulaski Academy in Little Rock have been named the first twins to receive scholarships to the University of Virginia through the Jefferson Scholars Foundation, said Cheryl Watts, director of college counseling at Pulaski Academy.
High school seniors Caroline Hatley and Maya Hatley, both 17, have been awarded one of the most highly selective merit scholarships in the nation, according to a news release from Pulaski Academy.
The Hatley twins were among 36 recipients out of 2,000 students who were nominated for the scholarships this year.
The Jefferson scholarships pay for four years at the University of Virginia and are valued at more than $240,000 apiece for non-Virginia residents, according to the website jeffersonscholars.org.
Caroline and Maya will begin their studies at the university in Charlottesville in August. The college was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson.
Maya said she's planning to take a pre-medicine track as an undergrad and possibly major in biology.
Caroline said she's interested in a program at Virginia called politics, philosophy and law. Caroline said she may go to law school in a few years.
"We actually decided to go to different schools because we thought it would be good for us to part ways," said Maya. "We decided the only way we'd both go to the same school is if we both get Jefferson scholarships."
The Hatley twins said they have been very competitive with each other their whole lives, but that will change at college because they'll be studying different fields.
"I think finally we are going to stop competing because we are going to go different paths," said Caroline. "I think the different paths thing is huge because we're not going to be compared to each other."
"At the end of the day, we're sisters and we love each other, so it's not something that's detrimental," Maya said of their healthy competition.
The identical twins said they'll try to help students at the University of Virginia tell them apart. Occasionally, they switch places, like they did last year for their yearbook pictures.
"We thought it was hilarious," said Maya.
Caroline and Maya are daughters of Drs. John and Nayla Hatley, who are Little Rock dentists.
The Hatley twins are Pulaski Academy's 2017 co-valedictorians.
They have also been National Merit Finalists, AP Scholars with Distinction, 5A state tennis champions, co-presidents of Model United Nations, Student Council representatives, co-presidents of the French Club, and members of Mu Alpha Theta, a mathematics honor society.
Caroline is a national finalist in the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage essay contest. She was also nationally recognized in the Foreign Service Essay Competition, and is the senior editor of Veritas, Pulaski Academy's literary journal.
Maya is secretary of the senior class, a counselor at Camp 21 -- a camp for kids with Down syndrome -- and is an accomplished pianist, according to the news release.
In addition to receiving the full cost of attending the University of Virginia for four years, Jefferson Scholars benefit from a number of enrichment programs sponsored by the foundation, including travel abroad, career networking activities, an outdoor challenge program and a leadership speaker series, according to the release.
In granting the awards, the foundation considers the ideals of excellence exhibited by Thomas Jefferson: leadership ability, scholarship ability and responsible citizenship, according to the news release.
To be named a Jefferson Scholar, candidates must undergo a highly competitive selection process. A total of 120 finalists were invited to take part in a four-day competition at the University of Virginia, which included seminar discussions, essay and mathematics examinations, and an interview conducted by university alumni and faculty.
Metro on 05/05/2017