PLANT CITY, Fla. — Fraternal twins Drew and Bailey Blanton graduated from Plant City High School on Wednesday evening and were both ranked at the top of their class.
Drew graduated as the Valedictorian of the class and Bailey was the Salutatorian.
The duo has also been involved in leadership positions at the school.
Drew was the president of the school's senior student council and president of the Hillsborough Future Farmers of America Association.
For Bailey, she was the president of the National Honors Society at the school and also the vice president of the school's senior student council. She also was part of the varsity volleyball team.
At the high school's graduation ceremony, the twins described how their competitiveness between the two led them to achieve great accomplishments in school.
"To my twin brother Drew, our sibling rivalry and competition is what truly motivated me to push myself to be my best," Bailey said. "Drew, while you won the victory of class rank, FFA president and senior class president, I would like to state for the record books that I beat you for president of the National Honors Society and I scored higher than you on the SAT."
The valedictorian joked about thanking his sister for him being ranked No. 1 in their class.
“Without the help of my twin sister Bailey, I wouldn't ever be able to be No. 1,” he said. “I mean, after all, there can't be a first-place without a second-place."
"Bailey, I want to say thank you for being there when I needed help with pre-calculus homework, all the pep talks when I felt like giving up and being one of my best friends, and most importantly, being the best vice president a president can ask for,” he added.
Drew and Bailey thanked their parents for their support and for pushing them to be the best they can be in the classroom. At the end of her speech, Bailey gave some advice to her graduating class as they move on forward with their lives.
“My advice to everyone is to take a leap of faith, to step out of your comfort zone and to test the limits of your abilities," she said.
The fraternal twins will both be attending the University of Florida in Gainesville in the 2022 fall semester.
Drew's plan at UF is to major in agricultural law and wants to support modern farmers.
Bailey will major in business finance and wants a career in the financial services industry.
Plant City High School held its graduation ceremony on Wednesday at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa.