“The whole idea was to stick together,” Adrian Dondo said of following the same path as his twin, Ainsley
Credit: Courtesy of Keele University
NEED TO KNOW
- Twin brothers Adrian and Ainsley Dondo, 22, graduated together from the same university with the same degree
- They also both plan to pursue careers in the same field
- “The whole idea was to stick together,” Adrian said of following the same path as his twin
Twin brothers Adrian and Ainsley Dondo likely had the audience doing a double-take at their recent college graduation.
The 22-year-old students from Bradford, England, took to the stage together at Keele University’s commencement ceremony to collect their diplomas. They not only chose to spend four years studying side by side at the same school, but also pursued the same degree — biomedical science — per a release from the university.
Now, they are both set to do internships in Milton Keynes with the goal of having careers as biomedical scientists.
The brothers, who were born just one minute apart, said studying for the same degree was “a natural decision” because they both enjoyed science throughout their school years. “It wasn’t so much that one of us influenced the other — we both shared the same interests and ambitions, which naturally led us to the same degree,” Ainsley explained.
As for the twins both choosing Keele, the university not only has a top reputation for biomedical science, but they felt they would best succeed if they were together, Adrian told the BBC.
“Initially, the whole idea was to stick together. University was a massive thing moving on from the [high school] life. We had always been abiding with each other then. To go to university, it didn’t make sense for us to separate,” he explained.
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They had a built-in support system in each other, which helped them stay motivated through their many assignments and exams.
“Studying alongside each other made the whole experience feel much less daunting,” Adrian said in Keele’s release. “We always had someone to bounce ideas off, revise with and support one another, which made preparing for exams far less stressful. If one of us wasn’t feeling up to attending a lecture or starting coursework, the other would give that extra push to stay on track.”
Credit: Courtesy of Adrian and Ainsley Dondo
They also pushed each other with a little friendly rivalry, making small bets over who would achieve the higher grades.
“We always end up thinking we have to one-up each other. We made these small bets, where if I got a higher grade than him, he would have to buy me a McDonald’s, for example,” Ainsley told the BBC. “It was those little things that made the competitiveness.”
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Added Adrian, “At the end of the day, we do wish each other the best. Obviously, we always aim to go high in our grades, but it’s just a bit of a light-hearted thing to push us more. I had a couple of exams and assignments where I did lower than Ainsley, but that’s what pushed me.”
The brothers — who lived in neighboring rooms in university housing and both joined Keele’s basketball team — also found that being together helped them overcome unexpected challenges during their four years of college. At one point, Ainsley experienced “personal circumstances” that affected his studies, and Adrian was there to lift up his twin brother.
The brothers said people are “often surprised” by how similar their university journeys have been — and they are just as surprised themselves.
“Looking back, it’s incredible to see how closely our paths have mirrored each other,” Ainsley said, per the Keele release.
Credit: Courtesy of Adrian and Ainsley Dondo
Adrian told the BBC that graduating with his twin by his side was a “proud” moment.
“It felt surreal,” he added. “Walking down that aisle hearing my name was great, and knowing my brother was right behind felt great.”
While the siblings will continue to stick together as they do their internships, they know the day will come when their paths will diverge a bit.
“The only time we’ll be separated is in an actual job now,” Ainsley told the BBC.
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