TOWAMENCIN- In just a few short months after graduating, North Penn senior twins Ali and Zoe Robinson are going from living in the same house to living over 4,000 miles apart. Next year, the Robinsons will be separated for the first time in 18 years with Zoe going to West Chester University, and Ali off to Bard College Berlin. When asked what it will be like living apart, Zoe laughed “It will be a breath of fresh air.”

“It’s going to be different after spending our first 18 years together, but I think it will be a welcome change,” agreed Ali.

It seems surprising that two people so similar ended up making very different decisions for their future, but with their support from each other and their reasoning, they know they are making the best choices for themselves.

“I decided to stay in Pennsylvania because thinking about the financial perspective, a degree is a degree and West Chester is a great school,” explained Zoe.

“I always wanted to go to an actual German School, but I kind of dropped the ball because there is a lot you have to do to apply to a German college. So this way I am still going to Germany but at an American school,” shared Ali

Currently, both Ali and Zoe are heavily involved in the language department at North Penn,  participating in German club, International Friendship Committee, Women in Engineering, and French Club. They got involved with these clubs because of their interest in language, and they get to spend time with their friends and make new friends.

“It’s high school, so you have to get involved to have a good experience. All of our clubs are centered around what I enjoy so I’m more inclined to go,” explained Ali.

Ali is also Secretary for German club, which has been a great addition to her senior year.

“Being secretary of German club has taught me that a lot more goes into planning meetings than I thought. It really is a lot of work to plan and think about what members would like, it gave me a new sense of responsibility,” she explained.

In college, the German language will still be prevalent in both their lives. Zoe is majoring in Political Science and International Relations, so she hopes to continue to use German in this field. Living in Berlin, Ali will definitely be using German everyday, as she will speak it to native Germans and take classes in both German and English.  At Bard College Berlin, Ali will not be choosing her major until the last two years, but she knows she is interested in humanities and arts.

Though the Robinsons are off to college, they can’t forget how grateful they are for their experiences here at North Penn. Both Ali and Zoe play the clarinet, and they will miss North Penn Music next year.

“I’m definitely going to miss the music program, because I’m not going to play clarinet in college. I’m thankful that North Penn puts the money into music and that I had the opportunity to learn an instrument,” said Ali.

Besides the clubs and activities at North Penn, Ali and Zoe are going to miss the teachers and classes that influenced them.

“Mrs. Tinsley has been one of our favorite teachers even though we only had her for one semester. She has made such a great impact on our school life, she is so welcoming and caring. Obviously Herr Baker’s German class has really influenced our futures and what we want to pursue in college and beyond,” shared Zoe.

The Robinsons are off to a new chapter of their lives, and couldn’t be more excited for what the future holds.