Twins go to college, Celina Record

Twin siblings from Celina to spend college careers side by side Lisa Ferguson, lferguson@starlocalmedia.com Jun 2, 2016 0 Two sets of twins who will graduate today from Celina High School are about to learn whether there’s any truth to the adage that two heads are better than one. Lauren and Reagan Archer and Jared and Michael Jensen will receive their diplomas during the school’s graduation ceremony at 7 p.m. Friday at Stonebriar Church, 4801 Legendary Dr. in Frisco. But rather than split up, the twosomes have decided to stick with their siblings when they head off to study at the same universities. Beginning this fall, the 18-year-old Archers will attend the University of Arkansas, where Reagan plans to pursue a criminal justice degree and minor in psychology. Lauren, who will participate in the school’s ROTC program, wants to study nursing in preparation for a career with the U.S. Army. “It wasn’t planned,” Reagan said of the girls’ mutual decision to become Razorbacks. Their father, John Archer, formerly played on the school’s football team. Their mother, Rachael Archer, is an alumnus. The girls said they grew up attending sports events at the university and watching them on TV. Nevertheless, Reagan said she “randomly” decided last fall she wanted to attended the school. “I feel good there because I know where stuff is and I’m not completely lost,” she said. Lauren’s decision was slightly less thought out. “I literally flipped a coin because I could not decide” between the University of Arkansas and the University of Nebraska, she said. “I was like, ‘I can’t really go wrong because I love both of them.’” Once the decision was made, the girls went to work securing scholarships. Reagan was awarded the Arkansas Alumni Legacy Scholarship. Lauren, who this year was Celina High School’s senior class president, landed an Army ROTC Advanced Designee Scholarship as well as a monetary incentive that will help cover costs of her room and boarding. She also received an Arkansas non-resident tuition scholarship. The sisters, who said they are looking forward to simultaneously rushing sororities, will also share a dorm room. “For teenage girls, we’re pretty neat,” Lauren said. “If we do get too messy, we can get on to each other and not have to worry about hurting anyone’s feelings.” Reagan said she is excited to experience college with her twin. “My dad keeps telling me the freshman year of college is really stressful … because you’re trying to find friends, you’re trying to find what you want to do, and at some point everyone feels lonely because you’re away from home,” she said. “At least when I go back to my dorm, there will be someone there and we’ll already have stuff to talk about.” It will be more than two years, however, before the Jensens can share a dorm room at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Instead, the brothers will head to South America in July to serve as missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Michael, who this year is Celina High School’s salutatorian, will be stationed in Argentina, and Jared is being sent to Chile. Both will live a Spartan existence as they go mostly door-to-door proselytizing their church. They will not see each other or their family members while they are away, are allowed to email relatives only once weekly and can call home twice annually. It will be the first time the brothers have lived apart from one another. “Obviously for 18 years we’ve worked (together) so well, it’s like a well-oiled machine,” Michael said, “so it’s going to be kind of tricky figuring out how to work” and live separately. “I think the mission is going to prepare me more than anything” for life, Jared said. “In my mind, it’s just an extra step to prepare myself to become a man, a father, a husband.” And an orthodontist, which is what Jared, who was awarded a scholarship last month by the Celina Association of Renaissance Excellence organization, said he plans to become after studying biology and business management at BYU. The school commonly allows Mormon students to defer their enrollment in order to complete their missions. If all goes as planned, the brothers will begin classes in fall 2018. Michael, who plans to study physiology and developmental biology in preparation for a career as a general dentist, earned a scholarship that will pay for half of his BYU tuition. In the future, the brothers said they hope to return to Texas and open a dental practice - together, of course.