Nationwide — Carissa and Aissa Swope, African American twin sisters from DeKalb County, Georgia, have earned the top two honors in Stephenson High School’s Class of 2025. Carissa was named valedictorian, while Aissa secured the salutatorian spot.The 17-year-old sisters have always driven each other to succeed. Their strong bond and quiet competition helped them stay focused on academics throughout high school. “We’ve always been competitive, so it has been a race to the top, but not one and two, just the top 10 percent of the class,” Carissa told 11Alive. “Now, I get to stand next to my sister, and we both get to give speeches. It’s a blessing and I’m really excited.”
Their success is especially meaningful because of the extra responsibilities they carried at home. As daughters of deaf parents, the twins often served as interpreters during parent-teacher conferences and other important school events.
“It’s been a long journey,” Aissa shared. “We’ve always wanted to show people that we can do things or that we’re smart, and I feel like people might have underestimated us because maybe it’s because our parents are (deaf). It’s just nice to get that recognition, for sure.”
Even when things got tough, the sisters stayed motivated by pushing each other. Aissa admitted she might not have made it to salutatorian without Carissa encouraging her to keep going, especially when schoolwork felt overwhelming. Aissa said, “She’s definitely been my biggest motivator.” Carissa was touched by the comment, saying Aissa has always been her motivator too.
In elementary school, their parents kept them in different classes to avoid too much competition. But in high school, the twins chose to take the same classes and maintained straight A’s side by side.
Next, the sisters will soon attend Emory University. Carissa plans to study neuroscience and behavioral biology, aiming to become a family medicine doctor and make healthcare more accessible for people like her parents. Aissa will major in biology with plans to become an anesthesiologist.
Wherever they go, the Swope sisters will continue to support each other. “When there’s a challenge or our life is difficult, we can always cry it out together and get through it together,” Carissa said.