Double the pride: Twin Niners share Charlotte journeys and commencement stage

The spring 2026 commencement ceremonies saw more than 5,000 Niners reach a significant milestone in their Charlotte journeys. Among this class of graduates were six sets of twins, four of whom shared their experiences and what it meant to earn their degrees together.

Erica and Monica Phann

Charlotte was always the top choice for Erica and Monica Phann. The twins share a passion for computer science and a strong work ethic that led them to cross the stage back‑to‑back during commencement. They both earned bachelor’s degrees in computer science, graduating summa cum laude and magna cum laude, respectively. Erica is pursuing a master’s degree in computer science; Monica plans to work as a software engineer while also pursuing a master’s degree.

What were some highlights of your college experience? Any special moments you shared with your twin at Charlotte?

Erica: Some highlights of our college experience were late night studying at the library with classmates and friends, meeting new people at UREC and winning hackathons! 

Monica: A special moment shared with my twin at Charlotte is probably when our friends and professors see us together and realize that we are twins, or they mix us up entirely.

How would you describe your sibling dynamic during college?

Erica: During college, we were always supportive of each other. There were many times when classes were challenging but we motivated each other to stay on top of things and get good grades. 

Monica: I would say our sibling dynamic is both competitive and supportive. We both push each other to do our best, sometimes using each other’s grade as a competition to see who can do better.

What does it mean to you to be graduating together?

Erica: I’m excited to share this special moment with my sister and I am glad that we get to walk the stage together. I feel proud and happy that we get to share this moment together!

Monica: Crossing the stage back-to-back will feel very rewarding. Now everyone will know that we are twins, if they didn’t figure it out already.

Camila and Sophia Tarlton

Camila and Sophia Tarlton chose to attend Charlotte together to stay close to home and continue making memories together. During their time at Charlotte they continued playing volleyball together and supported each other as they pursued their degrees. Camila graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in earth and environmental sciences, and plans to work as an environmental geologist at WSP. Sophia also graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in biology and plans to be a diagnostic lab technician.

What were some highlights of your college experience? Any special moments you shared with your twin at Charlotte?

Camila: Special moments I shared with Sophia were winning intramural volleyball tournaments, and attending basketball and soccer games together.

Sophia: I have had so many highlights of my college experience but my favorite thing was playing volleyball at UREC with my sister. We played volleyball together our whole lives so it was nice to continue that in college.

How would you describe your sibling dynamic during college?

Camila: We had a supportive relationship throughout college but we also challenged each other. If my sister did well on an exam, it pushed me to want to do better. I found myself studying at the same time as her. We liked playing trivia to share what we learned.

Sophia: I would describe our sibling dynamic as reliable and supportive. Any time I was stressed about anything, whether it was school or social life, Camila was always there for me and always understood me.

What does it mean to you to be graduating together?

Camila: It is very special to be sharing such an important accomplishment in life. We grew up doing most things side by side and I never got tired of it. This is just another one of those moments that we will look back on and realize how lucky we were. It goes beyond graduating, it’s knowing we had someone who truly understood it all.

Sophia: Graduating together means everything to me. She is the person I love most in the world. We have done everything together, so accomplishing something so big and supporting each other through it is very valuable to me. We did it and we did it together! I’m so proud of us and this is just the beginning. 

We aren’t in the same ceremony, but it is even more special that she gets to have her own celebration for her graduation day. I’m glad to be there in the crowd to see her walk the stage and to cheer her on.

Brayden and Dylan Zavodny

Brayden and Dylan Zavodny didn’t plan to attend Charlotte together but were both attracted to the campus’ scenic surroundings. They transferred together from Rowan-Cabbarus Community College and shared special moments together during their time at Charlotte, including watching Charlotte beat East Carolina University in football in 2024 and meeting each other at SoVi for lunch most days. Brayden and Dylan walked the stage back-to-back during commencement, earning bachelor’s degrees in communication studies and are graduating cum laude and summa cum laude, respectively. 

How would you describe your sibling dynamic during college?

Brayden: Dylan was more focused and competitive than I was; I liked to be more spontaneous and open, but still try to do the best I can in my classes.

Dylan: I would say as siblings we were a mix of both supportive and competitive. I wanted to see Brayden do well in his classes, but at the same time I wanted to do better than him. We were a second set of eyes and ears for each other helping whenever one of us struggled.

What does it mean to you to be graduating together?

Brayden: It’s a big achievement to go through this journey with my twin, experience college at the same time and finish it by walking the stage together.

Dylan: It’s special to get to graduate with your brother because we are finishing our academic journey the way it began. Not many people can say they helped their twin reach a milestone like graduating college together.

What do you imagine it will feel like to cross the stage back-to-back?

Brayden: I feel hopeful for the future and even though it will be frightening to go into the unknown, we have God on our side to guide us to where we go next.

Dylan: It will be a cool moment that we get to cross the stage after each other, that shows the hard work and dedication it took to get to this moment. This also serves as a finish line that shows that even though we had different paths, we still ended up coming back and completing the same goal.

Kaitlyn and Kathleen Carrera

Kaitlyn and Kathleen Carrera intended to go separate ways during college but when decision time came, Charlotte was the right fit for them both. The sisters supported each other throughout their time at Charlotte and shared one final moment together at commencement. Kaitlyn graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in computer science; Kathleen earned a bachelor’s degree in finance.

What were some highlights of your college experience? Any special moments you shared with your twin at Charlotte?

Kathleen: Our first year was incredibly memorable, especially once we moved into off-campus housing. We spent a lot of time walking to campus together and shared many long nights in the library. Beyond that, the biggest highlight has been the incredible people we’ve met during our time here.

How would you describe your sibling dynamic during college?

Kathleen: It was definitely supportive. Since we pursued different majors, I never felt a need to compete with my sister. In fact, I always thought her degree was harder! I’m so proud of everything she’s accomplished.

What does it mean to you to be graduating together?

Kathleen: It means everything to us. We didn’t get to graduate high school at the same time, so getting to celebrate this milestone together is very special. We truly are each other’s biggest supporters.