Liberal Arts identical twins forge similar but unique paths at Penn State

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Twins Julie and Becky Jenkins knew they wanted to use their college experience as an opportunity to pave individual paths. Although the sisters are both pursuing majors in labor and human resources and minors in psychology and participate in several shared extracurriculars, the second-year students are pursuing different paths within their educations and future plans.

Though majoring and minoring in the same disciplines, Julie Jenkins intends to focus on talent acquisition and recruiting, while Becky Jenkins wants to work on the financial and payroll side.

“I have gone through many interviews, and after each one, I feel like I am getting the hang of it more and more,” Julie Jenkins said. “I used to feel nervous for them, but now I enjoy going into them and feeling prepared. It would be fun to be on the other side of the interview.”

They acknowledged the benefits of sharing the same course load while they navigate each semester. They appreciate the constant support they receive and give to one another to ensure the other “stays on track.”

“It is just a little more comfortable with Becky here,” Julie Jenkins said. “When I am in class with her, we bounce ideas off each other, and I can go to her with my questions before going to a professor.”

Despite their shared academic pursuits, the twins appreciate the individuality college allows them to foster. In middle school and high school, people compared the sisters to each other because of their similar personalities and academic strengths. However, in college, they have been fortunate enough to break from that cycle.

“Middle and high school were more stressful than college,” Becky Jenkins said. “It was like we did not have our own names back then. Now we do, and our friends do not always try to group us as one unit.”

While they lived together during their first year, the women now live in different apartments, which allows them to pursue individual interests while maintaining their close bond. Although they no longer live together, they find time to spend together through their involvement in the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and their part-time jobs at Lion & Cub in downtown State College.

“We have been able to do our separate things,” Julie Jenkins said. “Although we do a lot together, we know when we want to do our own things or go our own ways.”

Though balancing this new self-discovery and their academic journey is not always easy, the twins said support from the College of the Liberal Arts has made the adjustment easier. Their academic adviser, Katelyn Perry, has always been there to answer questions or write letters of recommendation.

“It has always been easy to reach out to our adviser, which has made adjusting to college a lot easier,” Becky Jenkins said. “It is also nice to have professors who are involved in extracurriculars, like Bruce Tirrell, SHRM’s adviser, because it branches us all together.”

Despite changing majors and being away from home, they are glad they get to experience college together. The sisters are looking forward to studying abroad together next spring in Rome, Italy, and meeting new people. This summer, they will travel to Portugal and work in their hometown of Wayne, New Jersey.