From exploring the longstanding question of nature versus nurture to the miracle of perfect DNA replication, twins have always been a source of fascination.

With more than five pairs of twins on campus as undergraduates, Wake Forest is host to a tight-knit student body, taking familial bonds to another level, and each set of twins has a unique story to tell.

Christian & Anthony Wing: Double or Nothing

After being set on his dream school, Boston College, Christian Wing was sure he would spend the next four years in Beantown. But an enticing new offer from Wake Forest persuaded him to leave the Eagles and bet on the Demon Deacons.  

“I remember Christian had already sent his initial deposit to [Boston College], so it was a very sporadic change of plans,” Anthony Wing (‘23) said.

Anthony Wing had already committed to Wake Forest. Niki Mclnteer, the admissions officer for Latin America, had remained in close contact with the twins. After receiving only one “yes,” she called to inquire about Christian Wing. Determined to welcome both on campus that upcoming fall semester, Undergraduate Admissions was quick to propose a counteroffer, increasing their scholarship with the condition that the twins commit together.

“Since the deadline for the deposit was that same day, we had to decide immediately,” Anthony Wing (‘23) said. “We sat on a call with our parents for hours, and after constant back and forth made our choice.”

Being part of a family of five meant that their parents would be paying three college tuitions simultaneously. As the twins described, that’s a lot of money.

“We were both mindful enough to think about how much this would help out, and so we decided to take the offer,” Christian Wing said. “Looking back now, I don’t regret it.”

Christian and Anthony Wing’s dynamic relationship also complemented their college trajectory. They were, in a way, getting the best of both worlds. According to Christian Wing, while he focused on academics, Anthony Wing focused on the social scene. Soon, they were doubling each other’s networks.

“I was very immature my first semester, so the fact that I wasn’t 100% detached from my family kept me more grounded,” Anthony Wing said. “I needed an accountability partner.”

The initial contingent decision to go to Wake Forest together ended up working wonders.  

Angelina & Sofia Remnek: The Sisterly Bond

Arriving as a freshman at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic was intimidating, to say the least. Thankfully, for Angelina and Sophia Remnek, coming to Wake Forest together alleviated the disadvantages that came with the highly restricted campus.

“It was definitely helpful to have someone there that wasn’t only family but my best friend,” Angelina Remnek (‘24) said. “Transitioning into school together meant that we were able to lean on each other.”

Once strict regulations were lifted, their ability to explore college individually while still having each other’s backs became key.

“I think that as things started to go back to normal, our dependency on each other wasn’t as integral,” said Angelina Remnek. 

The Remnek twins had distinct interests, and although they didn’t plan on pursuing their college careers jointly, Wake Forest just happened to be the place that appealed to them both in different ways. 

“Academically, there’s no overlap whatsoever,” Sophia Remnek (‘24) said. “We both major and minor in completely different things.”

Alli & Claire Boehm: On the Same Track

 There are identical twins that naturally look the same, and some that even go a step further in trying to be carbon copies of each other. 

Then, there’s Alli and Claire Boehm. 

Being identical twins has always fueled the Boehm twins’ efforts to be different from one another. 

Initially, Claire and Alli Boehm had planned to go their separate ways for college. But, when Alli Boehm’s previous recruitment plans fell through, Wake Forest became her new option. This is when all hell broke loose.

“We were both runners and wanted to keep doing it in college, but we did not want to go to college together,” Claire Boehm (‘24) said.

On Christmas day, after Claire Boehm had already committed to Wake Forest’s cross-country program, Coach Ashley Bastron gave Alli Boehm a call to ask about her decision.

It looked like the Christmas spirit wasn’t working its magic in lightening the tension. Claire’s sentiments remained strong — she wanted to be her own person.

After extensive pros and cons lists and serious family discussions, the twins reached an agreement.   

“The day after Christmas, I committed to Wake [Forest],” said Alli Boehm (‘24). “Claire [Boehm] was very mad at me.” 

Alli and Claire Boehm weren’t the first set of identical twins on the track team. With another set of female identical twins, the coaches were used to working at double the pace.

“They were blonde runners like us, our same height, so when we came to visit, our coaches were very used to the idea of having a set of twins on the team,” Claire Boehm said.

From the athletics perspective, it gave the track team a charming look. According to Alli Boehm, whenever the media team would pair both sets together for a picture, the engagement on the social media posts was incomparable.

Halfway through college, a radical change of plans gave Alli and Claire Boehm a new sense of direction.

“I think that an important part of our story is the fact that Claire [Boehm] stopped running in the middle of our sophomore year,” Alli Boehm said.

This shift meant that for the first time in their lives, the Boehm twins had different daily habits and social circles, despite being in the same place. 

“I think that change helped us a lot,” Alli Boehm said. “We were able to have our own spaces, but we still lived together and had overlap.”

Lizzy & Deirdre Glynn: A Family Affair

Fueled by the sense of family that is fostered at Wake Forest, Lizzy and Deirdre Glynn followed in their older brother’s footsteps and decided to continue the family legacy by choosing to come to Deactown.

“We both applied [Early Decision], so Wake [Forest] was the only school we applied to,” Lizzy Glynn (‘24) said.

Their older brother’s experience was a helpful model that made it easy for them to single out Wake Forest early in the application process.

“I know that Wake [Forest] considers themselves a family school, and having our brother connect us with people at Wake [Forest] was really nice,” Lizzy Glynn said. “There are so many people we know of that have come together with their twin. They do love their families.”

One of their cousins was also attending Wake Forest at the same time, giving the Glynn twins quite the support system. They both emphasized the importance of always putting family first.

“Having immediate family around you certainly added a sense of comfort during freshman year, but even now as seniors,” Deirdre Glynn (‘24) said.

Nadia & Olivia DeMarinis: A Package Deal

Equally passionate about playing Division I soccer in college, Nadia and Olivia DeMarinis have always shared similar interests while finding ways to make those shared passions exclusively their own.

“Both Nadia [DeMarinis] and I wanted to play college soccer, so we worked hard to market ourselves as a package deal within the recruiting process,” Olivia DeMarinis (‘25) said.

Instead of working separately to reach the same goal, the DeMarinis twins knew the value of fulfilling their childhood dreams together.

“We both were offered a scholarship to play on the women’s soccer team, which immediately drew us to appreciate the program,” Nadia DeMarinis (‘25 said).

Being part of the women’s soccer team isn’t the only thing that the twins have in common. As studio art majors and entrepreneurship minors, the DeMarinis twins are a testament to the way a specific field of study can be easily personalized.

“It is interesting that in the same art courses, we can be given the same prompt, but each of our final versions takes a totally diverging path from one another,” Nadia DeMarinis said. “Even when we paint the same subject, our style is completely different.”

Prompted by their harmonious relationship, Nadia and Olivia DeMarinis started their own business Retro XO.

“We take donated and thrifted clothing items and repurpose them as patches on hats, giving them a new life,” Nadia DeMarinis said. “I am the CEO, and Olivia [DeMarinis] is the designer.” 

Nadia and Olivia DeMarinis are in it to win it together. Like a power couple, but make it twins.