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Twins set to graduate high school as valedictorian, salutatorian

Wednesday's graduation will mark the end of a chapter for two siblings who pushed each other both in and out of the classroom.

PLANT CITY, Fla. — Drew and Bailey Blanton are fraternal twins.

"No, we can't read each other's minds," Bailey explained with a laugh.

On Wednesday they’ll walk the stage at graduation with the Plant City High School senior class.

"I'm excited, but obviously there will be people and memories that I'll miss," Bailey said.

The brother-sister duo isn't just graduating, they're finishing at the top of their class. Drew will graduate as the valedictorian, while Bailey is the salutatorian.

“It’s like a built-in best friend at school, I’ll always have him to talk to, always have him to lean on, it’s been very nice, very helpful,” Bailey said.

While both siblings have a heart for competition, Drew says he thinks of himself as the "more competitive one.” But what started as sibling rivalry, soon turned into a healthy competition.

“Early on there were a lot more fights. Now it's pushing each other to be the best they can be,” the twin's father Jamie Blanton explained.

"When they were younger they were as close as they are now, but when they got older that sibling rivalry turned more into a friendship and a bond," added their mother Melody. "They support each other and we’ve seen that from elementary school all the way to high school." 

In the fall, the pair will start a new journey at the University of Florida, but with different majors, that friendly rivalry won’t be quite as fierce.

“I think the classes will be very different, I don’t know if it will translate but we’ll be there to support each other,” Drew says.

While at UF, Drew plans on pursuing a career as an agricultural lawyer while Bailey is aiming to pursue a career in finance. 

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