Class Acts: Rosse C. Gates, East Hampton High School


The Hartford Courant

12:39 PM EDT, July 3, 2012


Identical twins Rosse and Caleb Gates share virtually identical DNA—and nearly the same rank at the top of their high school class. Rosse, who earned a 4.44 weighted grade point average, was East Hampton High School's valedictorian, while Caleb was named salutatorian.

Over the past four years, the two brothers took the same core academic classes, ran cross country, played tennis, earned the rank of Eagle Scout, and earned admission to the honors college at the University of Connecticut, where they will both major in mechanical engineering.

Rosse said that he and Caleb have always had a competitive relationship, often comparing test scores and pushing each other to improve.

"There was a lot of, 'I got a 97, you got a 98—I'll beat you next time,' " Rosse said. You always want to outdo your brother. Everyone wants to be the dominant twin."

Rosse and Caleb also worked together to build a trebuchet, a seven-foot counterweight catapult, for a class project.

The two brothers' paths diverged occasionally in high school—Rosse is a unicyclist and studied Spanish and electronics, while Caleb took French and business courses and began studying java programming earlier than his brother.

And although they do not plan to room together in college, Rosse, who aspires to teach calculus or physics at a university, said he is excited to have his twin brother at his side at UConn.