Brooke and Jack Ochoa have had the experience, unlike most freshmen, of starting high school together. Interestingly, the Ochoas are not twins, but they are very close in age. Jack is about a year and one month older than his younger sister Brooke.

The small age difference between the siblings brings them to similar hobbies, friend groups and even sports.

“Jack and I like to go surfing a lot,” Brooke said. “He started water polo so now we have that in common as well. We also both played baseball when we were little. He still plays but I do not. We also both played soccer, so we mostly have sports in common. We are always competing against each other, no matter what. But it’s really fun. We always push each other to do better.”

The closeness of age leads to the similarity in the interests of the siblings, which in the Ochoa’s case can sometimes lead to arguments and intense rivalry.

“Brooke and I argue more [than me and my older sister] because we have more stuff in common and for us it is more of a competition,” Jack said. “We are almost the same age and we play the same sports, so it gets really competitive. It’s cool because sometimes we even get to play sports together.”

Even though this brother-sister relationship has its occasional differences, the pair has strived in this high school environment where their friends, classes and extracurricular activities have strengthened their bond.

“We are really close in age and we see each other all the time,” Brooke said. “We have the same friend group and hang out with a lot of the same people. We get to have a lot of conversations about sports and stuff like that. That’s one thing that really draws us together.”