Could twins Jazmin and Lizbeth Lopez make it at top-ranked colleges more than 3,000 miles apart?
Of course, they could. The real story was how they made it there in the first place. On a breezy, tourist-brochure day in California’s wine country, twin sisters Jazmin and Lizbeth Lopez sat side by side waiting to graduate as the top two students in Napa High’s Class of 2005. This was a moment of triumph, but Jazmin was so nervous she couldn’t even listen to the speeches. She feared she was going to get kicked out. The twins had decided to make a statement during the ceremony. As Jazmin crossed the stage to accept her diploma, she unfolded a black-and-white banner reading Orgullo Latino-“Latino Pride.” Lizbeth followed right behind with a Mexican flag. This sort of thing didn’t come naturally to the shy teens, but they did it anyway, and Jazmin even added a little flourish-blowing a kiss to the crowd. It was only the latest surprise from the once-predictable pair. The inseparable siblings were known simply as “the twins” or “the Lopez sisters” to many at Napa High. Along with taking m
